Renegades: A New Dawn
by Primal WolfBlood
Summary: Follow Phil, Maddy, Blair, and all the rest of the Renegades as they try and get their lives back on track after the tragic end of The Renegade Revolution. There's more action and suspense than ever before, rivalries will be forged and re-ignited, and some old scores will finally be settled. Throw in the mysterious and sly Segolia Corporation, and it all adds up to A New Dawn
1. Aftermath

Renegades: A New Dawn

Chapter I- Aftermath

Point of View- Maddy

The date: November 2nd 2014. The time: 9:30am. The day after the shooting. I was up early, because I couldn't sleep, understandably. Dad was still asleep, which I was glad about, because it gave me time to try and get my head around living without Mum. I had a shower, and then brushed my hair, trying to get back to normal routine. It was no good though. Dad had called an emergency meeting last night for midday, and everyone was attending, including Mollie, who had flown back from Switzerland especially for it, not knowing about Mum being dead.

When Dad got up, he looked rather the worse for wear. 'Morning Dad.' 'Hi Maddy.' 'Uh, I'm not quite sure what to say.' 'It's ok Maddy- I've just got to concentrate on getting my life back on track.' 'I wouldn't blame you for quitting duelling right now.' 'I'm going to carry on until the end of next season... if you agree to still team with me.'

'Dad, I'd love to. As soon as you're ready to return, it would be my honour to team up with you.' 'I'll return in a few weeks. You feel free to return whenever you feel ready.' 'I'll give the tournament in Casablanca a miss, but I think I'll compete in the local tournament over in South Shields next week.'

'You'll be a household name there.' 'I know.' 'I'm continuing duelling in Hannah's memory. She sacrificed her life for me, and I need to remember the sacrifice that she made for me.' 'When's her funeral?' 'I'm going to organise it for New Year's Eve, if that's ok.' 'That far away.' 'It just feels right Maddy.'

'I'm planning on going straight down to the hospital after the meeting.' 'I'll come with you- I'll give you a lift down.' 'What's the plan for the meeting?' 'I plan on having 2 minute silence for Hannah. The WDC have also said that they're going to have a 10 draw salute before the event in Casablanca for her.'

'That's good of them. Are we going straight to the base?' 'No- I'm going to pay my Mum and Dad a visit first. Explain what happened.' 'Thanks Dad. Should I take the meeting?' 'We'll take it together.' 'Thanks. Let's go.' 'Yeah- let's.' We then got in the car, and headed over to Gorton.

When we got there, it was nearly 11:00am, and his Mum and sisters were just coming out of the house when we pulled up. 'Hi Phillip, nice to see you. Where's Hannah?' 'That's why we're here- we've got something to tell you. I don't know how to put this, so I'll just come out and say it- yesterday, Hannah was shot. She died in hospital at about a quarter to 2 this morning.'

Both Dad and his Mum burst into tears then. 'I'm sorry about that.' 'It's not your fault. The police are investigating it, but that's why we're here- we felt that it was a good idea to tell you.' 'Thank you for telling me. If you don't mind me asking, when's the funeral?' 'New Year's Eve. That's the plan anyway. Is Dad off of work?' 'Yeah- he's in the house. Stay a while if you want.' 'We'll stay a few minutes thanks.'

When we got into the house, his Dad came to see him. 'Hi, it's nice to see you.' 'I need to tell you something Dad- Hannah's dead.' 'You're kidding me.' 'No- she was shot dead yesterday.' 'Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that.' 'Don't worry- we've got to try and move on without her. It's difficult, but we have to try and do it.' 'Yeah, I understand.'

About half an hour later, me and Dad were leaving his parents' house, going to the base. 'That was difficult.' 'I know. It's kinda difficult to drive when you're crying.' 'Pull over then.' He did, and I gave him a hug. 'You've still got me. Here- take this.' I then gave him a ring. 'This is Hannah's wedding ring.' 'Yeah- sorry. I thought it might make you feel closer to Mum even though she's no longer here.'

He then reached over with his long, lanky arms, and hugged me back. 'You are a genius, you know that?' 'Thanks. Am I allowed to keep the Robinson-Cummings name?' 'Yeah- I'm going to, at least for now. You keep it for as long as you want.' 'I appreciate it.' 'I appreciate you.'

'The bullet hit me yesterday, and just bounced off. Why?' 'What were you wearing?' 'I put my leather vest on, just in case I ended up duelling.' 'That's it then- the leather vest. It's leather on a bullet-proof vest- almost indestructible.' 'Almost.' 'Yeah- it's almost as hard as diamond. It probably can be damaged, but it would take something extraordinary.' 'Like.' 'A very powerful bomb... probably. I'm just speculating- I don't actually know.'

'How much did it cost to buy?' 'Uh, it cost £560 to buy, and about 3 days to make. I bought the vest on the cheap, and then encased it with leather, and put straps in it, and I cushioned the inner of it using soft foam... and the stuffing from a few cushions. Hannah wasn't too impressed at that.'

'She always knew how to make you smile.' 'Because I knew how long and how hard I'd had to work to get her. It wasn't just the thrill of the chase, it was the result of the chase as well. Took me 3 attempts to brainwash her.' 'I knew about two of them, but 3?' 'Yeah- when we were both at school. I pulled her over to one side, and tried to brainwash her.'

'It didn't work?' 'No- she'd heard a rumour about me trying to do that, so she was prepared.' 'Why didn't it work the second time?' 'Hannah had the smarts to not look into Jodi's eyes, whereas Allyx did look into them, and get hypnotised.' 'So what happened differently the last time?'

'The last time, I had been preparing all day. I knew that I had Freja and Mollie on side, and thought I might have half a chance.' 'How was the crest materialised?' 'I don't know- I'd never used them before. I stopped using them shortly after that because I learned that I didn't need them.'

'Did you train Mum yourself?' 'Yeah- I did. Her, Freja, Allyx and Mollie were all trained by me together.' 'What part did Allyx play in Hannah's recruitment?' 'Distraction. She was focused on Allyx that she didn't notice Mollie and Freja getting prepared.' He then burst into tears again.

'Sorry Dad, didn't mean to upset you.' 'Sorry Mads- I need to think of you, rather than just myself- you've lost out as well.' 'Dad, I'm always gonna be here for you. You're allowed to be upset- it isn't a crime.' 'Thanks Maddy. I just want to look after you all, but I couldn't even do that.' 'Dad, that's rubbish. Mum did what she did because you saved her all those years ago, with no regard for your own life. She knew the risks, but she chose do do what she did herself.'

'I'm not having a go at you here Dad, I'm just trying to make you see that it's not your fault. It's one person's fault, and that's James Birchall.' 'You're completely right Maddy- we've just got to dust ourselves down, and then decide what to do next. Anyway- let's go.' We then drove off to the base.

When we got there, Blair was waiting for us. 'Hi, any update?' 'We're going to address tat in this meeting. We'll be with you in a minute.' 'Ok. Did either of you sleep last night?' 'Not a wink.' 'For about an hour.' 'I didn't sleep at all.' 'Nice cardigan.' 'It's one of Hannah's that she gave to me a few months ago. I really like it.' 'Good.' We then went to the meeting.

When we got there, everyone was there, including Rob and Jack. Dad started the meeting off, as we stood together at the podium. 'Thank you everyone for being here at this hastily arranged meeting, I know it was very short notice, but we have a major announcement to make.'

'Yesterday, about half past 12 in the afternoon, there was a Code Red incident. A known assailant attacked 3 members of our club. We are saddened to announce' He then started crying again. 'We are saddened to announce...' 'What he's trying to say is that our beloved leader Hannah Robinson-Cummings was shot. She died in hospital this morning,'

The whole club fell silent in shock at that. Blair burst into tears as well, and I went over to hug her, before returning to the podium. 'We will appoint a temporary leader of the Renegades at the meeting on Friday. Until then, you all answer to Phil. Rio Kastle was also shot, and she is still in a coma in hospital. Jodi Allen suffered severe and life-changing burns to her face, and is also in hospital. We hope that you will keep praying for their recovery, and we will update you on Friday. Any questions?'

Mollie came up with one. 'Phil said that it was a known assailant. Who was it?' 'That was James Birchall.' 'How did he know where the base was?' 'That is unknown at the moment. We suspect that Rhydian Morris told him, but that it unproven as of now. Any more questions from anyone?'

Maverick then came up with one. 'Will either of you be taking compassionate leave?' 'We are going to discuss that with each other. That will be addressed on Friday.' There was no further questions. 'One more thing- as a mark of respect to Hannah, everyone is off of club duty for 7 days. After that, we will be back to work. Thank you for attending, and if you need anything, me and Maddy will be at the hospital.'

As the meeting ended, Blair came up to us. 'Sorry we had to make the announcement like that Blair.' 'Did she die peacefully?' 'She woke up for a moment, and said "M18 4 Ever", before suffering a fatal heart attack. Akiza called us just after that happened. When we got there, I had to turn off her life support machine. I killed Hannah- I killed my wife.'

'I'm sorry Phil. Can I come to the hospital with you?' 'Of course- jump in the car, we're going straight down there.' 'Thanks. I'm sorry about Hannah.' 'As I told Dad, Birchall is the only person who is to blame for what happened. He's the one who attacked Rio and Jodi, and he's the one who fired that bullet.'

'You're right, but it's still difficult to comprehend.' 'From a personal point of view, I don't want any time off Dad- I don't want to give myself chance to reflect on what happened.' 'I understand and respect that Maddy. I'll need some time off, so you're in charge of the Renegades.'

'What if I'm not ready though?' 'It won't be permanent, I promise. 3 weeks maximum.' 'Ok, I trust you. I just doubt myself a bit, that's all.' 'You'll do a great job.' 'Who's taking over the Lupine Warriors anyway?' 'That's up to you- you can unify the two if you want to.' 'No- I know who I want to take over from me for now. Please will you do it Blair?' 'You got it. I'll get Maverick to take over Serotonin for me.' 'Great, thanks Blair.' 'No worries.'

When we got to the hospital, Akiza was waiting for us. 'Hi Akiza.' 'I'm sorry about what happened with Hannah.' 'It's not your fault. Has Rio's condition changed?' 'She's slowly improving- still critical though.' 'What about Jodi?' 'Awaiting plastic surgery. You can go and see her if you want.' 'Thanks.'

We then went to see Jodi. When we got there, her face was almost unrecognisable. 'Hi Jodi, you don't mind us seeing you like this, do you?' 'No, just about the only people left alive that I don't mind seeing me in this state.' 'You found out about Hannah dying then?' 'It wasn't confirmed for me, but in my heart of hearts, I knew she was dead.'

'Plastic surgery later I hear.' 'Yeah- they're trying to rebuild my face as best they can. I might be out by Thursday. Is Rio still hanging on?' 'Yeah- she's just about alive still.' 'Jodi, when you get out, will you agree to assist me while I'm temporary leader of the Renegades?' 'I'd love to, as long as it's not out of pity.'

'Jodi, you know me- I wouldn't appoint you out of pity. It's because we need an experienced head, and Dad's taking time off.' 'I understand that. The doctors have said that I'll have a permanent scar on the left side of my face, and I'll never have more than 60% vision in my left eye because of the damage. Luckily, I didn't inhale much smoke, so my condition isn't life-threatening.'

'I'm glad.' 'I went to see Rio earlier- she's still wired up to everything.' 'I know- it's sad. We've had a meeting today telling everyone about what happened, and we're all having to hope now. There's a tournament in Casablanca on Thursday, and they're having a 10 draw salute before it for Hannah. None of us are going though.'

'I can understand that.' 'We've just got to take time out to mourn, and then rebuild.' 'Are you going to continue duelling Phil?' 'Yeah- me and Maddy are going to team up still. I'm not sure about my singles future.' 'What should we call ourselves Dad?' 'M18 Connection?' 'I didn't think you'd want to continue the connection without Mum.'

'Listen Maddy- it's what Hannah would want.' 'We'll see. Anyway, we've got to go and see Rio.' 'Well I'm having my surgery in a few minutes. Could you just tie my hair back for me before the surgery?' 'Of course I can.' Once Dad had done that, we left, just as Jodi was wheeled off for surgery.

When we got to Rio's ward, she was still unconscious, and she had doctors looking over her, running tests. 'Sorry if this is a bad time.' 'No- not at all. We've just run a few tests. Her condition's not got any worse.' 'Is that good or bad news?' 'The first 48 hours are crucial, so we'll know a bit more tomorrow. Sorry we couldn't give you any useful news.'

'It's ok- it's not your fault. As long as she's not gotten worse, that's good news in my opinion. Any change since she came in?' 'Very marginal changes, but nothing that changes anything really. She's still bordering on clinically brain-dead, but she isn't... yet.' 'The yet bit concerns me.' 'There's no guarantees over her survival.'

The doctors then left, and Blair got on her knees, and held Rio's hand. 'Rio, you're not gonna leave me alone with these two, are ya? Come on- we all need you still. Just open your eyes, and be alive- we don't care how many hoops we have to jump through to get you back.'

Meanwhile, Dad was praying. 'Icaron, if you hear me wherever you are, give me what I desire- give us the power of life. Why didn't you let Energy Merge work? Why didn't you let me save my wife? Is it all part of your plan? Because I'm telling you now- I'm done with your plan if I don't get any answers.'

'Calm down Dad.' 'I'm sorry Maddy, it's just that Icaron promised me that nobody would be taken before their time. That was not Hannah's time. Why did Icaron set me up for heartache again?' I then heard an unfamiliar voice. 'You wanted answers, I will give them to you.'

I turned around, and saw a cloaked figure with the Eye of Icaron on it's cloak. 'Who are you?' 'I am N, and I am Icaron's messenger. I am here because you demanded answers.' 'Give him the answers then.' 'Hannah knew the risks of what she was doing. Icaron cannot protect against impulsive actions. She knew this, but she still took the risk. Icaron's power has it's limits- he will not interfere if someone who has sworn themselves to him chooses to take that risk.'

'Why did Energy Merge not work?' 'We are investigating that- there is no reason why it should not have worked. I will appear to you again when I have any answer to that.' 'Is there any way she can be brought back?' 'I personally do not know. If there is a way, then Icaron will have to decide himself whether or not it is possible to do that. I regret that while Icaron has taught me a lot, I still do not know everything- I doubt I will ever have the answers to all of your questions. After all, I am only a messenger, and Icaron is very selective of what is taught.'

'Will Energy Merge work with Rio?' 'You will have to try it- as I say, we are investigating what went wrong when you tried to revive Hannah with Energy Merge.' 'Why is Icaron punishing us like this?' 'Icaron is not punishing you. You have not once strayed away from the faith, and Icaron allows greater powers if you do not stray from the faith.'

'What like?' 'You will learn. I am disallowed from telling you.' 'Why are you disallowed?' 'All I know is that Icaron doesn't share certain issues with anybody. I wish I could help you more. I will have you know though that Icaron was deeply affected by Hannah's death- he was very proud of her dedication. He is usually all business, but he has been unusually motionless the past week or so- he knew what was coming.'

'Why didn't he warn us?' 'I ask him, and he doesn't reply- maybe... just maybe.' N then left, leaving us confused. 'Hey- where you goin?' 'I have something I need to investigate. Until I see you again, I bid you both farewell.' N finally disappeared. 'What happened there?' 'I dunno.'

Blair then sat down, and got her notepad out, seemingly trying to work something out. 'What on earth are you doing?' 'I'm recording the exact time that he appeared to us.' 'Why?' 'I get it Blair.' 'Do you Dad?' 'Yeah- because then, she can record future times when he appears to us, and see if there is a link.'

'You got it Phil. Geez- I'm starving. Sorry.' 'No worries- we could all do with something to eat.' 'I'm still not hungry.' 'Ok, you'll have to eat at sometime though.' 'I agree with him- I'm not trying to babysit you Maddy, but you can't survive without eating.' 'I will eat... when I'm hungry.' We then left.

After having some lunch, we went back to the base. 'Right- what do we do now?' 'Who knows.' Maverick then came over to us. 'Mistress, you wanted to see me?' 'Yeah, I did Maverick. Firstly, good duelling with Jodi in Norway- you did a grand job.' 'Thank you mistress- I did what you wanted me to.'

'Absolutely, you did Maverick. That's not the actual reason I asked you to come though.' 'Go on.' 'I am going to be taking over as temporary head of the Lupine Warriors for a few weeks, because Phil's taking time off, meaning that Maddy is the temporary leader of the Renegades. I want you to take over as the head of Serotonin while I am busy with the Lupine Warriors.'

'Mistress, I respect your decision massively, but I am not worthy.' 'You are worthy, that's why I chose you. Out of all the members of Serotonin, you are the most capable of leading them. Plus, you have been with us a lot longer than everyone else in Serotonin. I did not make the decision lightly at all.' 'If you think that I am up to it, I will do it Mistress.'

'Dad.' 'Maddy.' 'You know you asked me to take over with the Renegades?' 'Yeah.' 'Do you give me your word that you'll give me advice whenever I ask for it.' 'Maddy, whenever you need advice, I'll be there to give it out to you, because I want you to fulfil your destiny.' Dad then walked out of the room, leaving me to wonder what "my destiny" was.

A few minutes later, Blair snapped me out of my thought. 'Maddy!' 'Whoa- what is it?' 'Maddy, I've been trying to get your attention for 10 minutes now.' 'Sorry, just lost in thought. What's up?' 'I heard about you duelling in South Shields on Saturday.' 'You think it's too soon?' 'Maddy, only you know your own head. If you feel ready, then do it. I just wanted to give you something.'

'Number 53? Cheers Blair.' 'I borrowed it last week, but I never got round to returning it to you. Personally, I think that what you're doing is very brave- so soon after, well you know what.' 'You are allowed to talk about it Blair, as long as Dad's not around to hear what we're talking about.'

'He's upset.' 'Well duh, of course he is. If the love of your life got shot dead by a psycho, you'd be upset Blair. Sorry, didn't mean to have a go at you.' 'No worries Maddy- I understand perfectly well- I'm sorry I asked such a stupid and insensitive question.' 'No worries Blair.'

'Blair, I just realised that I need to let Jade know what happened.' 'Oh yeah.' I then went out of the room, and was a bit surprised that Dad had vanished. I got my phone out, and eventually found Jade's phone number in the call log.

'Hello, this is Jade, what's up Maddy?' 'I need to tell you about something that happened over here in England yesterday.' 'Go on.' 'You know my Mum Hannah?' 'Yeah, lovely woman.' 'She was- she was shot dead.' 'You're kidding me? Who else was there?' 'Rio got shot in the back of the head.' 'So she's dead as well?' 'Not quite- she's still fighting for every breath in hospital. She's in a deep coma at the moment. The doctors aren't sure whether she'll ever recover.'

'I'm coming over. Not just to see Rio, but because I'm guessing there was a lot of damage to the base.' 'Not that much, other than a few smashed windows, and some chipped brickwork.' 'Oh right. It's just that I'm an apprentice builder, so I thought that if the base was damage, I could help out.'

'It's alright thanks. I think Rio could do with you by her bedside though.' 'Thanks so much for telling me. I'm sorry about your Mum- you and Phil must be in pieces.' 'I've been coping alright actually- he took it very hard though. He's a broken man.' 'I'll see you sometime tomorrow.' 'Bye Jade.' 'Bye Maddy.'

When I came back in the room, Mollie was there, so I decided to have a little chat with her. 'Mollie, could I have a private word a moment please.' 'Sure Maddy.' We then went into the office. 'What's up, apart from the obvious?' 'You've known Dad for a long time, haven't you?' 'Oh yeah, years.' 'I need to know- what's he like at putting the past behind him?'

'Just between you and me, that's his biggest fault- he struggles to get over his personal demons. What's worrying me is that he's suffered from quite serious bouts of depression in the past.' 'How serious?' 'Self-harming. Not for a few years, mind you though.' 'Cheers. He talked about "my destiny" earlier. Any idea what he means?'

'No, sorry. The only person who would know for certain is dead. I know that he's been talking for a while about you one day taking over the Renegades permanently.' 'He has, has he?' 'Yeah- I thought you knew that.' 'No, first I've heard about it.' 'That's a surprise- Phil's never been very good at these cloak and dagger operations.' 'Really? He seems very good at them to me.' 'There's a first time for everything.'

'Thanks Mollie. Anybody else who might know what "my destiny" is?' 'You could try Blair- they talked to each other about most things. There's no guarantees that she'd actually know though. Sorry I couldn't help more.' 'It's not your fault. Listen- when you next see him, please could you try and discretely get some answers for me?' 'Sure thing.'

I then decided to ask Blair. Before I got chance though, Dad came back. 'Hi Dad.' 'Hi Maddy, sorry if I put pressure on you to take over the Renegades while I'm off.' 'Dad, I know that you're looking out for my best interests. I'm fine with it.' 'Thanks Maddy.' 'It's not a problem Dad. Jade's on her way over to Britain as we speak- I informed her about what happened.' 'Sorry I forgot to do that.' 'No worries Dad. You take a few weeks off, I'll be fine.'

'As long as I'm not denying you time to mourn.' 'I could either sit around and mope, or stand up, brush myself down, and get back to work. It's different for you, because you were due to take some time off anyway.' 'You're right. I'll go back home later. If you want picking up afterwards, let me know.' 'Ok, thanks Dad. We've just gotta stay strong.' 'You're absolutely right.'

Dad then went home, leaving me to get on with some paperwork. About an hour after Dad went home, Akiza knocked on the door of the office, and let herself in. 'Akiza, do you have any concept of what the door's for?' 'Sorry, but I really needed to talk to you.' 'This had better be important, because I'm very busy.'

'I wanted you to consider joining Black Rose Inc., now that there's no more M18 Connection.' 'Me and Dad are continuing as the M18 Connection, and I would never dream of joining Black Rose Inc.' 'Why though Maddy? Is it our actions?' 'No- I'd never dream of playing second fiddle to you. No- I'm leading the Renegades while Dad take time off.'

'Why you?' 'Who are you to question my leadership Akiza? If you question my leadership, I will kick you out of the club. Believe me- I have the power to do that.' 'You wouldn't dare.' 'Try me Akiza- I'm not taking shit from anyone, least of all someone who isn't loyal to the cause.'

'What's that supposed to mean?' 'I'm not stupid Akiza. Black Rose Inc. is just your little ego trip, a vanity project for you to actually feel important. During the Primal Renegades, you felt important, we **made **you feel important. But ever since that ended, you've not been the centre of attention, because I've outshone you. I'm not trying to belittle you, I'm trying to install discipline.'

'Face the facts Maddy- the reason you've gotten all of this is because you're Phil's daughter.' 'Akiza, there was a time when I would have agreed with you. But I've learned the truth now. The reason I was chosen was because he saw potential in me. Maybe if you knuckled down a bit more, and spent less time moaning, then you might get the breaks that I have.'

'Go on then oracle- what do I have to do?' 'For starters, stop being jealous of what I've achieved. You will not get anywhere by wishing that you were in my position Akiza. I'd offer you the chance to challenge me for my leadership, but I'm a bit busy at the moment, and even if I wasn't, there are 3 people already ahead of you, so that's not going to happen for a while yet. Especially considering that one of them is still in a coma. So unless you have anything positive to say, get out of my office.'

'Maddy, you've changed.' 'Too right I have. I'm done just rolling over for everyone- I need to make things crystal clear from now on. Starting with the fact that I'm the boss at the moment.' 'This isn't you Maddy.' 'This is the new and improved Maddy. It's a crying shame that Mum had to lay down her life for me to realise that life isn't all fun- that I have a job to do. Now are you quite done telling me what I am and aren't?'

'Fine- I'm going. I've got Rio to try and save.' 'You had better save her. Otherwise the chances are that you won't be welcomed back to the club with open arms.' 'What- so I'm kicked out if she dies?' 'No- I'm not that heartless. But if you don't save her, then you won't exactly be Ms Popular.' Akiza then left, in a huff, leading to another knock on the door. 'Come in.'

Jana then came in. 'Yes Jana, what can I do for you?' 'I was wondering where I'm left with you taking over the Renegades.' 'You're my P.A. Basically, what that means is that you're my run-around. You go and get stuff done for me.' 'I thought I might be your assistant in the Renegades.'

'Sorry Jana, that post is already filled. How did you know about this anyway?' 'I overheard you and Akiza talking. Who's going to be your assistant anyway?' 'Jodi. She gets out of hospital later this week. Or at least she will do if all goes well.' 'So you're giving it to Jodi out of pity?'

'Jana, what do you take me for? I've given it to Jodi because she's been in the club from the start, and never gets the recognition she deserves. Jodi has been like a sister to me since I joined, so it's about time I paid her back for that.' 'I'm sorry I got the wrong end of the stick.'

'No need to apologise. I'm just very stressed- I've lost my Mum, Dad's broken, Rio's on the border of death, and I've got Akiza questioning my every move. I'm fed up of rolling over and taking what everyone has to throw at me- it's about time I fought back against them. Just gotta work out what N meant earlier.'

'Who's N?' 'Nothing to do with you Jana. I promise- it's nothing for you to be concerned about. It's something for me to work out myself, a bit like everything else is.' 'Sorry Maddy. Is there anything I can get you?' I then burst into tears myself. 'The only thing I want for Christmas is my Mum back. But I can't have that, can I? Everyone else has a Mum to go to- I don't.' I then stormed out of the office.

Point of View- Blair

'Blair, do you know where Maddy went?' 'No- I didn't see her leave her office. Why?' 'She's just run out crying. All I did is ask if I could get her anything, and she said something about not being able to have the only thing that she wants for Christmas.' 'Hannah. I'll be back in a minute.' 'Uh, ok?'

I then went out, and went to the exact spot where Hannah landed after being shot yesterday. 'Hannah, if you can hear me up there, give me a sign- show me the way.' I then felt a massive wave of energy controlling me, and I had no choice but to walk as I was being directed to.

Point of View- Sean

'Sean, could you go and look for Maddy please?' 'Akiza, why should I do anything for you? You have been causing Maddy so much stress lately.' 'Why- are you her latest bit on the side?' 'No- I'm looking out for my mate. Seriously Akiza- don't get on the wrong side of me.' Akiza then stormed off, leaving me to go and find Maddy.

I eventually found her in a rainy alleyway a couple of miles away. 'Didn't think dark alleyways were your scene Mads.' 'They're not usually- I wanted somewhere where it feels right to be miserable though, and I couldn't think of anywhere else.' 'You can talk to me Mads- you know that?'

'All you ever do is joke around.' 'Try telling Akiza that, with the way I spoke to her a few minutes ago. Seriously Mads- you can tell me anything.' 'I just feel that I have nobody at the moment. Blair's gotta keep an eye on her best mate who's on life-support, and everyone else is judging me.'

'Most of them aren't judging- they're trying to look after you. They need you to show them that you are ready to take this role.' 'And Dad goes on about "my destiny". What is "my destiny"?' 'He wants you to be top dog.' 'What do you mean?' 'He wants you to take over from him as the head of not only the Renegades, but also his little dynasty- the Robinson-Cummings dynasty.'

'Wow- didn't expect that.' 'He is proud of you, he wants you to be proud of yourself. You're his little girl Maddy. I don't know the first thing about parenting, and I don't pretend to. But what I do know is that since you became his daughter, Phil's been a completely different person- he's no longer got that frailty about him- he's got an ego now. But he finally has something to protect.'

'Something to protect.' 'Yeah- you. He's putting himself through mental torture at the moment, because he feels that he couldn't protect Hannah. He couldn't save her, and he's blaming himself. He feels that he failed in his mission.' 'How do you know his stuff?' 'I've known him since we were in nappies. I've grown up with him always there. He's a grumpy sod at times, but he does care.'

'Didn't realise you'd known each other that long.' 'Listen Maddy- where we grew up, it was kill or be killed type of stuff, you get me? You needed true friends to be by your side. The reason I'm here today is because of Phil- I got in so much trouble when I was younger. He got me on the straight and narrow.'

'Then I met Hannah- she was a mother bird type figure for me. She stopped me from getting kicked out of school on goodness knows how many occasions. And now, I can't fucking pay her back. I'm upset about it as well, but I don't let myself think of how upset I am, because Phil's putting himself through so much worse.'

She said nothing. 'You just need to make him realise that he's not alone in this- that you're feeling as bad as he is. When he realises that you're needing him, he'll snap out of beating himself up. You need to remind him that he still has a mission- he still has a reason. I'm asking you to do that as a friend in need Maddy.'

'You're right Sean.' 'First time for everything.' Maddy just burst out laughing at that. 'Ah, you're funny Sean. You are right though- I am needed by him. I need him as well though. I'm going Sean- see you later.' 'Bye Mads.' We then hugged, and she ran off.

Point of View- Maddy

I ran to the woods, and was about to use Primal Eolas, when I heard somebody behind me. 'Maddy, I need to talk to you.' I turned around, and Jade was there. 'What's up Jade?' 'I know your secret- the wolfblood secret.' 'How?' She then shocked me by taking her sunglasses off, and flashing her eyes gold.

'No way.' 'Yes way. What I didn't tell you was that I'm one of you- I'm a wolfblood. I was deserted by my pack when I was young after I was caught in a poacher's trap. Are you the one that they talk about?' 'What are you blabbering on about?' 'My mother and father- they returned briefly yesterday. They talked about a wolfblood who was our saviour.'

'They said that there was this one wolfblood- a saviour. The daughter of the Smith family, the heir to the mighty Renegade dynasty. They say that one day, it will fall upon this one wolfblood to make a choice, to battle or not to battle, with the entire species at stake. Are you that saviour Maddy?'

'Of course- that's my destiny! Jade, I am Maddy Robinson-Cummings, and my destiny is to be the saviour of all wolfbloods worldwide. We will unite as one and defeat those who oppose us.' Jade then hugged me. 'Please- make me a Renegade. I don't care what the personal cost, I will assist in this mission, for my species.'

'I was going to leave Rio to do it, but we don't know if she's going to live or not, so I'll do it myself in her place.' 'Fine- I'm ready.' Jade then dropped to her knees, and spread her arms out.

I then walked around her, before getting out a pound coin. 'Jade, watch the pretty coin of gold, and you will do as you are told. You will obey only me.' Jade didn't respond, as she was too busy watching the coin. 'Now keep watching the coin Jade. You are falling deeper and deeper under my spell.'

'Now you are under my spell Jade. When I put the coin away, you will fall asleep, under a hypnotic trance. When I whisper the key to your heart in your ear, you will awaken, deep under my control. The key words are: Awaken my mindless soldier.' I then put the coin away, and she fell into a deep sleep.

I then walked behind her, and grasped her long, straggly green hair, before tying it back in a high ponytail, using a hair bobble I happened to have on my wrist. I also applied some green eye-shadow, and then whispered the key words in her ear. 'Jade, awaken my mindless soldier'. Jade then woke up, and her eyes had gone darker.

'Mistress, thank you for awakening me.' 'You're welcome Jade. Let's go- you can stay at our house for a few days, until you master your primal powers.' 'Can I use my Primal Eolas to move between countries?' 'I don't know- I've never tried. I wouldn't have thought so though- unless you're going by yourself, in which case I'm sure you could.'

We then went home (via my Primal Eolas). When I got home, Dad seemed surprised. 'I would have thought you were telling me you were coming home.' 'I used Primal Eolas.' He then got up, and I stood to attention in front of him.

'I accept my destiny Dad. My destiny is to take over the Robinson-Cummings dynasty, and be the saviour of all wolfbloods.' 'I'm glad to hear it Maddy. You want something to eat?' 'Just a couple of Bacon butties thanks Dad.' 'Glad that you're starting to get your appetite back.'

'I have to eat something. By the way, I'm sure you recognise Jade- she's a primal wolfblood. Wolfblood as in she's my species, and primal as in I brainwashed her.' 'I'm proud of you Maddy, you know that?' 'Yeah- thanks Dad. I really miss Mum.' 'We both do Maddy. I need to be strong for you.' 'Don't worry about that- I think we both need to just show our emotions.'

A couple of days later, and Rio's condition hadn't changed one bit. When we got to the hospital, Akiza asked to speak to me privately. 'What's up Akiza?' 'I wanted to apologise for the way I spoke to you on Tuesday.' 'Listen Akiza- I'm over it. I just want some respect, that's all. I take it you're flying out to Casablanca?' 'No- I'm too busy here. I might be at the next tournament though, depending on how Rio's condition is.'

'Oh yeah, in Denmark. Has Rio's condition improved at all?' 'Not really- she's still in a coma. She's made very little progress since she came in, and the CT scans aren't good- she's got very severe Brain Damage. A couple of the senior doctors have recommended that her machine is turned off, but they're not legally allowed to do that without permission from Phil.'

'Cheers.' 'Even if she does live, she might be completely incapable of helping herself at all. The only progress made is that we've managed to safely extract the bullet.' 'We can't give up on her- we can't lose her as well.' 'Are you going to return to duelling soon?' 'Yeah- I'm competing in a local tournament in South Shields tomorrow, and all being well, I'll fly out to Copenhagen to compete there- I've got a completely new deck.' 'Nice one.'

'As I say though- I am sorry about my attitude. It's just that without Hannah, I didn't quite know where I fitted in in the whole regime.' 'Trust me Akiza- you do still have a very vital role to play. For starters, you're the official Renegades medical personnel along with Sakura. You have a role other than that to play though- as far as I'm concerned, the Renegades could really benefit from having you and your experienced head in the club, especially with losing Mum- we need you more than ever right now.' 'Thanks Maddy.' 'It's not a problem- I can understand your concerns.' 'Much appreciated.'

We then sat down with Dad to watch the start of the tournament in Casablanca. The head of the WDC came out right at the start. "Ladies and Gentlemen, before the start of the tournament, we have a sad announcement to make. Most of you will have probably heard by now, but in the small hours of Tuesday, November 1st 2014, Hannah Robinson-Cummings died in hospital of a Cardiac Arrest, which was contributed to by a gunshot wound to the stomach. As a tribute to her, we have organised a 10 draw salute, for her 10 years as a professional duellist. We ask for complete silence during the draw.

All the fans then bowed their heads in respect, and closed their eyes, as did the head of the WDC. Draw 1. Draw 2. Draw 3. Draw 4. Draw 5. Draw 6. Draw 7. Draw 8. Draw 9. Just before the 10th draw, Birchall, Kieran and Rhydian interrupted, wearing suits. Rhydian took a mic, and we were praying that he was going to at least show some sort of heart. Fat chance.

"Mr. Birchall, Mr. Morris, and Mr. Byrne, we invite you to not interrupt this mark of respect." "We're very sorry, but we have something which is a little bit more suitable for... how do I put this- such a wonderful person- such a magical individual whose apparent beauty put everyone under a spell, making them believe that she was actually anything more than a sad, pathetic little slag."

Shockingly, some strange music then played, as the three of them started singing Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead, which lead to the fans going absolutely ape. "Face it- Hannah deserved to get shot- for kidnapping Maddy, and brainwashing her. That's one evil out of the world now." "Phil, I killed your wife, and you're next. She looked so happy dying though- probably because she was getting away from you." "Should of seen the look on Brady's face- it was an instant classic. As for the face on the little bitch he calls a daughter, that was priceless- seeing her Mum being destroyed like that." "I even took a photo over Hannah's dead body- a very professional looking selfie indeed."

"Please will security remove these three scoundrels from the stadium. I know Hannah never saw eye-to-eye with us at the WDC, but we very much respected her talent and enthusiasm. Our condolences go out to everyone in the Renegades and Lupine Warriors, as well as her family. Rhydian, your 30 day ban now encompasses all stadiums- you are not allowed to be present in the stadium for a duelling tournament without a valid ticket to enter."

As security dragged them away, they started singing Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead again, making the crowd's blood boil over completely.

'That was disgusting.' 'I'll get vengeance for Mum.' 'Don't do anything stupid Maddy.' 'You can trust me Dad- I promise.' Jade then came back in. 'Hi Jade.' 'Hi Mistress, has there been any change?' 'No- her condition hasn't changed.' 'Just to check- you don't mind a lesbian being in the club?'

'Well I've never heard of a lesbian Wolfblood before, but it'll be cool to have a lesbian in the club. You got a partner?' 'Not yet.' I then noticed Blair listening in, and she came in. She went straight over to Jade, and seemed to be struggling to ask her something for a moment, before she got a grip of herself.

'I'm glad I'm not the only one Jade.' 'Only what?' 'Only lesbian. Jade, please will you go out with me- I think you're really beautiful.' 'I think you're beautiful as well Blair- I'd be honoured to have you as a girlfriend.' They then kissed, as me and Dad looked at each other, and smiled.

'Did anyone know I was a lesbian?' 'I had no idea. You Maddy?' 'Don't take this the wrong way, but I thought you and Rio were dating.' 'No- we're just really close friends. I'm not sure which way inclined Rio is- I'm not sure Rio does.' 'No worries- I'm happy that you've found happiness.' 'What about you Maddy?' 'I'm staying single for now- I've had enough of dating.'

A few minutes later, just as Blair had returned from getting a bottle of coke for Dad, N appeared again, once again cloaked. 'Who's this?' 'Jade, this is N- Icaron's messenger.' 'Who's Icaron?' ;The warrior who first gave Dad the power to recruit people. The patron saint of the Renegades effectively.' 'Oh right, sorry.'

'N, have you come because you have answers? 'Indeed- I have some answers.' 'Give 'em to us then.' 'The problems with Energy Merge are unique in the fact that they are happening because Icaron's communication lines with you have somehow been disrupted. He says that it is the fault of the Barian god Don Thousand, who has been deliberately interfering.'

'What do we do about it?' 'Defeat Don Thousand. Once you do that, Icaron's power will be restored completely. Until then, please bear with us, because we are working on creating temporary communication lines.' 'So Energy Merge is out of the question?' 'For now, yes- it simply would not work.'

'Ok, thanks N. Any more updates?' 'Icaron regrets that he could not save Hannah.' 'Yes- we already know that.' 'In that case, I have no further updates. Oh yes, there is just one more thing.' N then gave Dad 4 cards. 'Give these to those who need them most, and when you see fit. They were sent by Icaron as a way of getting revenge on Don Thousand, Birchall, and everyone else who is to blame for Hannah's untimely death.' 'Thanks N.' N then vanished again.

Dad and me then left the hospital, to go back home. On the journey back, Dad pulled over. 'What's up?' 'We need to get some lunch. Also, I need to give you something.' He then gave me one of the cards that N had handed to him. 'Number 70?' 'Yeah- I figured you would put it to good use. I'll give Blair Number 13, when Rio wakes up, I'll give her Number 31, and I'll use Number 77.'

'You're positive that Rio will wake up?' 'Gotta be positive- even when it's difficult.' 'You're absolutely right Dad- Rio will wake up, I'm sure of it.' We then went to have some lunch. When we emerged from having a spot of lunch, Dumon was waiting outside our car.

'Dumon, this really isn't the best time.' 'I know about Hannah. I came to give condolences on behalf of myself and Mizar.' 'What about t'other one?' 'I've not been able to contact Nash- he's still coming to terms with Marin's death.' 'Rio isn't dead. Unless she's died in the past half hour.'

'That is odd- Nash received word 3 days ago of Marin and Hannah's death. At approximately 10:20am.' 'That was over an hour before Hannah and Rio were even shot. Me and Hannah were still asleep at that time.' 'We've been tricked. I must find him.' 'Try the hospital- if you want, I can drop you off there. I'd expect him to visit his sister.' 'Thanks very much.' 'It's not a problem.'

When we got to the hospital, Nash was just going in, so I ran after him, and stopped him getting through. 'Get out of my way little girl.' 'Marin is not dead- she's still fighting for her life. And if you ever call me little girl again, you'll get much worse than a bite to the arm.' 'Don't tease me.' 'Believe us- I can show you if you want.' 'Fine- prove it.' 'You want us to prove it? I can prove it very easily- come with me to her hospital bed.' We then went in, and a doctor was checking on Rio.

'How is she?' 'She's still critically ill. She might never recover, but on Mr. Robinson-Cummings' demands, we are not turning her life-support machine off.' 'Fine- I believe you Maddy. Thank you.' 'I did it for her- she doesn't need everyone giving up on her.' If you care about her, you'll come and see her more often.' 'I will do now that I know she's alive.'

Dumon and Dad then came up behind me. 'Nash, I have been trying to contact you for 3 days.' 'Sorry Dumon, it's called grieving. And I was doing all of it for nothing as well.' 'At least it shows that you care. Maybe you should show this side of you more often Nash- the greatest leaders always have a degree of empathy and emotion after all.' 'You just may have a point there Dumon- you may just have a point.'

'We're going now, to let you two continue your little touchy-feely session. Oh, and Nash- thanks for your sympathy over my Mum dying.' 'At least I don't feel like an odd one out now. It wasn't a nice thing though, and I'll happily gain vengeance for you.' 'Yeah- like that's going to happen. You couldn't even care less about your sister, never mind get revenge.'

The 2 of us then turned to leave, but Jade and Blair came out before we left. 'Everything ok?' 'There's been a development.' 'Go on.' 'Rio's breathed by herself.' 'You're kidding me.' 'No- it's very wheezy breaths, but defiantly breaths. I promise you.' 'Blair's right- I think she really is alive.' We then rushed back in, to see what they were on about.

When we got back in, Rio was breathing laboured breaths. Me and Blair looked at each other, and then held one of Rio's hands each, before closing our eyes. 'What are they doing Phil?' 'They're trying Energy Merge. I just hope that N has gotten those communication lines up.'

Point of View- Phil

The two of them then glowed red, and it felt like an earthquake had hit the hospital. A piece of the ceiling then started falling, but I managed to kick it, splitting it in half, and I then leapt onto Rio to stop it hitting her. Maddy and Blair then stopped glowing, and Rio seemed to be given an electric shock, which increased her heart-rate to a safer level.

'Do you know if it's worked?' 'We don't know yet.' 'Phil, thanks for protecting Rio there.' 'What- from us?' 'No- he kicked a piece of the ceiling away when it fell. He then jumped onto her, and some of the ceiling fell onto his back. Thank you for protecting her.' 'She's not going to die on my watch.'

The doctors then came over, and two of them checked on Rio, while Akiza checked on me. 'Before you say anything, my foot is fine.' 'Your foot looks like it's ok strangely.' 'See- nothing wrong with it.' 'Apart from bruising, you're actually right there. How's Rio?' 'She's in a better condition now- she's a lot less critical.'

'That's good news. Anyway- let's go.' 'I'm coming with you. What about you Blair?' 'I'll be back in a bit. Love you Jade.' 'Love you too Blair.' The three of us then left for home, filled with more hope.

The next morning, I was up early. 'Where are you going Dad?' 'Jodi's being released from hospital today.' 'Oh- brilliant. Can I come with you?' 'If you're dressed in the next 10 minutes, then yes.' Maddy quickly got dressed, and we went to the hospital.

When we got to the hospital, we went to the burns ward, and waited for Jodi to finish saying bye to the staff who had treated her. We were a bit nervous, because we hadn't seen Jodi's face after surgery. When she emerged, we were pleasantly surprised- her face looked similar to what it was before the fireball, apart from the scar underneath her right eye, and a small missing patch in her fringe.

'Jodi, you look great considering what happened.' 'Cheers- I don't feel too bad either. Can I go and see Rio?' 'Yeah, sure.' 'I've been getting regular updates from Blair. Why am I not surprised that you put your body on the line to protect Rio eh?' 'I did what I had to do.' 'I know that- it was very brave.' 'Cheers Jodi. Has Blair told you about her other news?'

'What- the news about her being in a relationship? Pity she didn't tell me who with.' 'She's in a relationship with Jade.' 'Didn't know she was lesbian.' 'Looks like she is- yeah.' 'That's great news for her.' We then went to see Rio.

When we got to that ward, Jodi sat down next to Rio. 'Rio, I'm alright- you can recover as well. Come on- Blair has good news for you. I know she's really desperate to tell you.' I then spoke to her as well. 'Rio, we've lost Hannah, but we can survive if we don't lose you as well.'

A couple of days later, Rio's condition had gone from critical to stable. 'Dad, I'm going to South Shields. Tell me if there's an update on Rio's condition please.' 'I will do- I'll ring you, so please keep your phone on. Tell me when you're on your way back, and I'll get your tea on.' 'Thanks Dad. Bye Blair.' 'Bye Maddy.' 'Bye Jade.' 'Bye.' Maddy then went out.

A while later, we went off to the hospital. 'I'm glad that Rio's getting a bit better.' 'I am as well Blair.' 'If and when she wakes up, should we tell her about Hannah?' 'I'll tell her if that's ok with you both.' 'Ok, she was your wife after all, so that's fair.' 'Thanks for being so understanding Blair.' 'It's ok.'

Blair was trying to hold her tears back. 'Blair, if you want to cry, cry- I know how upset you are.' 'I'm trying to stay strong because I don't wanna set you off.' 'Blair, I'm crying anyway. I've been crying for 5 days now.' We then got to the hospital, and me and Blair hugged each other. 'I'm sorry I couldn't help.' 'It's not your fault at all Blair. Nobody is blaming you.'

When we got in, Rio was slowly breathing by herself still. 'Any progress?' 'Her heart-rate is close to normal now.' 'That's a good sign.' 'It is.' We then sat by her side, holding her hand.

About an hour later (after we'd had a bit of lunch), I was holding Rio's hand, when I suddenly felt my hand being squeezed. I then looked over, and Rio was squeezing it. 'Blair, ring Maddy- Rio's waking up!' 'Understood.' Blair then rang Maddy.

'Hi Blair.' 'Maddy, Rio's waking up.' 'Thanks for telling us- I'll be over in a couple of minutes.' 'Sorry if I'm disrupting your tournament?' 'I've just won anyway. Besides- this is much more important.' Maddy then hung up, as Rio squeezed again.

She then fluttered her eyelids, and woke up. 'So is this what heaven looks like? Thought it would be a lot nicer than this.' 'Rio, this isn't heaven- this is hospital. You're alive.' 'How?' 'I don't know, and I don't care.' 'Oh yeah- how's Hannah doing?'

Me and Blair then welled up. 'She passed away about 12 hours after being shot.' That made Rio cry as well. 'I'm sorry I caused all of that Phil, I didn't mean to cause Hannah any harm at all, I swear I didn't.' 'It's not your fault Rio- you didn't shoot her.' 'She was shot right in front of me, and I didn't do anything to help though. I watched her being shot in my place.'

'He was never aiming for you with that shot- he aimed for Maddy and missed. Maddy's coming over.' Jade then came back in. 'Rio, you're awake.' 'Apparently, although I don't want to be- I wanted to keep Hannah company in heaven. After all, it's my fault she was shot.'

'It wasn't your fault.' 'Sorry- enough about me. Nice to see you again Jade.' 'I've managed to get a girlfriend.' 'Oh yeah? Who's the lucky girl?' 'I think you'll agree with me that I'm the lucky girl.' Blair then came in, standing next to Jade. 'Meet my new girlfriend- Blair.' 'You found yourself someone then Blair.' 'Yeah- I did.'

Maddy then came bursting in. Straight away, she hugged Rio. 'I was so worried about you Rio.' 'Yeah- these three have barely left your bedside while you've been unconscious.' 'That's sweet for someone who doesn't even deserve it.' 'You do deserve it, because we said that you deserved it.'

'How are you and Maddy coping Phil?' 'It's difficult, but we're hanging on in there at the moment. We're a lot better now that you're awake again.' 'How's Jodi?' 'She's had surgery to repair her face, and she's now back at home.' 'So I've only caused one person to die then.' 'You have not caused any of this, I promise you Rio.' 'We'll have to agree to disagree there.' 'True.'

Rio then went back to sleep, as doctors removed her life-support machine (it was no longer necessary). 'She's awake now, which is good.' 'I know it is. Just gotta convince her now that it's not her fault Hannah died.' 'I know- that might be the biggest challenge of all.' 'I'm sure we can do it- we got her to live after all, didn't we?' 'True Maddy- very, very true that.'

On the way back home, I pulled the car over in a lay-by. 'Blair, I've got something for you.' I then handed her another of the Numbers from N. 'Number 13? Thanks Master- I understand what I must do.' 'Good. Number 31 is almost like a twin to this one, and Rio will receive that should she actually be fit to duel again.' 'Great.'

When we got home, we could smile for the first time in nearly a week. It couldn't disguise the fact that somebody was missing from the picture- somebody who deserved to be there wasn't there. We still missed Hannah- nothing was quite the same without her there. No amount of mourning could ever change that fact.

Narrator

That night, somewhere in Morocco, Birchall was sleeping, when at exactly 23 minutes past 1 in the morning, a cold, icy breath woke him up. "Wh... who's there?" A ghostly voice then spoke to him. "Birchall, I'm coming for you. H.R.C, I'm coming." The ghostly voice then dissipates as suddenly as it arrived, leaving no evidence other than a wet bed sheet, and a very very cold bedroom.

**How will Phil and Maddy cope without Maddy ahead of Maddy's first tournament back? Will Rio stop blaming herself? And what was the meaning of the ghostly message? To find out, please read Renegades: A New Dawn Chapter II- ****Primalise**


	2. Primalise

Renegades: A New Dawn

Chapter 2- Primalise

Point of View- Maddy

The next morning, we (Me, Dad, and Jodi) were up early, so we could fly out to Denmark for the Copenhagen International. 'Everyone ready?' 'As I'll ever be. What about you Phil?' 'I suppose so. Let's just go already.' We then left for the airport.

While we were in the car, Dad said absolutely nothing, just driving. We had chance to reflect on how much less fun the journeys were without Mum coming up with random stuff or just talking for the sake of it- those were the days. But we realised that they were over now, so we had to just try and move on from that, and find a new way to make the long journeys bearable.

When we got to the airport, Rob said hi to us, but Dad just got straight on the plane, saying nothing still. 'Sorry Rob- you hear about Hannah?' 'Yeah- I would have come over, but I've been re-taking my pilot's license test. I've been stranded in Reykjavik all week.' 'Dad's taken it really hard.'

'I can understand that.' 'Yeah- Rio's conscious in hospital, but she thinks it was all her fault.' 'You're very brave competing Maddy.' 'Cheers. I am trying to be strong, but it is really difficult. On a positive though, Blair's in a relationship.' 'Good for her. Who's the lucky guy?' 'She's lesbian Rob.' 'Really? Never knew.' 'Yeah- she's with Jade, who Rio grew up with in Idaho.' 'What- the one with green hair?'

'Yeah- that one.' 'Nice. You're not looking like you were hit with a fireball Jodi.' 'I've got permanent injuries- I've lost nearly half the vision in my left eye permanently. At the moment though, I've only got about 15% through my left eye currently though- that's why I've got this white stick with me.' 'Oh right. If you need some help, let me know.' 'Cheers Robert.'

We then flew off. Dad spent the entire journey looking out of the window at nothing in particular, while I was reading and Jodi was trying to work out where we actually were. We landed 3 hours later in Copenhagen. When we landed, Dad just walked straight off, acknowledging Rob on his way off.

'Hey Maddy- keep an eye on your Dad will ya? When he's quiet, that's usually a bad sign- he is very, very dangerous when he's angry.' 'I know- I've seen his temper.' 'You've not seen the full wrath of his temper I don't think.' 'I'll keep an eye on him Rob, don't worry.' 'I do worry about him- that's the problem. Hannah's death has uncaged the beast inside, and he's very unstable mentally.'

Me and Jodi got off, mulling over Rob's words. We noticed Kris in the airport, and Jodi went over to him. 'Hey Kris, you hear about Hannah?' 'No- I've been asleep most of the weekend. And I don't watch TV anyway- much prefer the gym.' 'Hannah's dead.' 'Jodi, it's not April 1st.' 'Kris, this is no laughing matter- Hannah really is dead.'

'No way man. Aw, where's Phil?' 'Somewhere down there, not saying a thing.' 'Should I say anything to him?' 'I wouldn't recommend it if I'm being honest. When something like this happens, he's a very dangerous individual. You need to be very careful, and I wouldn't recommend moving into the base for a while yet.' 'Fine by me- my place in Salem's up for sale, but I can lodge with a mate in Boston- he owes me anyway for bailing him out of jail that time. Anyway, you competing here?'

'No- I got hit by a fireball thrown by Hannah's killer- Birchall. I've got very little vision in my left eye at the moment.' 'Is Blair single still?' 'She's in a relationship. And she wouldn't be interested in you anyway Kris.' 'Why?' 'You're ugly, and she's a lesbian. I'm going- see ya.' 'Uh, bye.'

When she caught up with me, I had completely lost Dad. 'Any idea where Phil is?' 'No- he's completely vanished. Oh no.' 'What is it?' 'Hannah's biological Dad. Him and Phil do not see eye-to-eye over anything.' 'Let's try and keep them apart.' Unfortunately, our plan failed completely- I couldn't catch up in time.

"Oh, you're here, are you? Tell me- have you decided to give me my daughter back yet?" 'Her not liking you had nothing to do with me.' "This Birchall fellow- he's going to be Hannah's husband from now on- he's... how do I put this- he's much more classy than you."

'Has nobody told you that he's a killer?' "Don't be silly." 'Just ask Hannah. Oh wait- he killed her, so you can't. So you can take my marriage plans, and you can run away, before I cut your head off, and post it to that little scumbag.' "You killed my daughter." Dad then decked Hannah's Dad, and picked him up again, before throwing him into the onlooking Rhydian. We managed to stop him before him and Rhydian butted heads though.

'Dad, ignore them.' 'I'm done here- let's go.' 'You've got us to think about Dad- you need to ignore them.' 'It's difficult when somebody's praising your wife's killer.' 'I know- she was my Mum. But revenge comes to those who wait.' We then walked to the stadium (which conveniently, was right next to the airport).

When we got there, Birchall was already out there, flanked by the rest of the Brave Bones, as well as Spica and Vector. "Now as you know, I am Birchall- the Renegade Killa. Now I've heard rumours of that little dog Maddy being here. Which is fine by me- if she comes anywhere near me, I'll blow her up, and she'll be with Hannah and Rio in hell."

The three of us then made our presence known, as the Renegades music played. "Oh, if it isn't the lovesick puppy, and Hannah's fake husband." 'Shut up- I've already decked Graham, and you're next on my list.' "What did he do to deserve that?" 'You don't want my answer- you wouldn't like it. And for your information, Rio's very much alive, and conscious in hospital. She might even be watching this.'

We were then interrupted by Ragnerok's music hitting, as Astrid came out, flanked by Halldor. "Birchall, I'm growing tired of listening to you. I know you killed Hannah, and all I can say is well done." "Thank you." "No- well done as in you've just signed your own death certificate."

"What does that mean? Brady can't harm me." "He might not be able to, but I sure can. Phil, Maddy, Jodi, I know we've had problems with each other, and I know Dragan raped Hannah when she was younger. He served 4 years in jail for it- and he deeply regrets what he did."

"I'm not here tonight to talk about that. I want to speak to Maddy. Maddy, you are going to be a World champ one day. More than that though, you stand up for yourself when people talk about you being "Daddy's little girl". Tonight, I would like to team up with you, to wipe the smile off of the faces of Kieran and Spica."

'Astrid, now's really not a good time. I'll team up with you, but don't expect any actual teamwork- it's every duellist for themselves. In fact, I have an even better idea- the 4 of us in a 4-way for my title. That's my challenge.' "Maddy, I accept." "I'd love my title back thanks." "Yeah- I reckon I could fit that belt around my waist."

Jodi then took the mic. 'I've got dodgy eyesight. That does not mean I can't duel though. I'll issue an open challenge for anybody who feels like accepting it. And Birchall, you're included in that, even though your duelling ban is still active for 4 days.' "Good job I have an assassin... or two. Meet the newest Brave Bones- Rachel Eckersall and Martin Garcia."

Rachel then came out, obviously under the influence of a neuro-needle, and some guy with a ponytail and a beard came out next to her. I whispered to Dad 'Who's Martin?' 'Disgraced former World Number 9. He's just finished serving a 6 month jail term for being caught in possession of over 2kg of heroin.'

"They are the newest Brave Bones, isn't that right Rachel?" "Yes- I will do as you say." "Me and Birchall have a certain kinship. I kidnapped Rachel for him, and he plunged a neuro-needle into her neck, making her belong to us." 'Birchall, if you poke a wild animal with a stick, it'll bite you. Same with me- you don't just wind me up and watch me go, you wind me up, and run away. Tonight, it will be Martin and Rachel vs. Jodi and the newest Lupine Warrior- Kris Travis.'

Kris then came out, wearing all black, like Jodi. 'I have very little to say for once, other than All for the Lupine Warriors!' 'We'll start off with Maddy though- get this show off to a flying start. Time for that intro.'

Point of View- Jodi

Maddy took her hoodie off, and gave it to Phil, as her music started playing. 'The following is a 4-way duel for the Challenger Young Gun Championship. Introducing first, from The Wilds, Stonybridge, Northumbria, England, by way of the M18 District of Manchester, England, she is the Alpha Predator, and your Young Gun Champion- Maddy Robinson-Cummings.'

Maddy went straight down, and bared her fangs at all of the Barians and Brave Bones, before lifting her title belt up to a great reaction. Astrid then came down, to Ragnerok's music. 'Introducing the challengers- first of all, from Stravanger, Norway, she is the Frozen North Warrior- Astrid Langvik.'

Astrid came down to a good (almost home-field) reaction, and when she got to the duelling zone, she took off her fur coat, and then her and Maddy got in each other's faces. Spica and Kieran didn't get any intros, as everyone activated their duel disks before that happened. They then began the duel.

Young Gun Title: [29] Astrid Langvik LP:4000 vs. [32] Kieran Byrne LP:4000 vs. [40] Spica LP:4000 vs. [16] (c) Maddy Robinson-Cummings LP:4000

Turn 1- Astrid- 'I'm starting. I draw. I activate Nordic Relic Rangnira. Because I have no monsters on the field, I can skip my Battle phase, and summon out any monster I like from my deck or Extra deck. Then, I have to equip Rangnira to it, and the monster has it's abilities negated as long as it's face-up on my field. I summon out Thor, Lord of the Aesir (Atk:3500). My turn's done after these 4 face-downs.'

Turn 2- Kieran- "I draw. I summon out Phantom Beast Thunder-Pegasus (Def.:2000). I end my turn."

Turn 3- Spica- "My turn. I play a monster face-down in Defence mode. Next, I activate Undead Rising, letting me pay 1000 Life points to summon out two Level 4 or below Zombies from my hand. I choose Regenerating Mummy and Pumprincess the Princess of Ghosts (RM Atk:1600, Pumprincess Def.::1000, Spica LP:4000-3000). I end my turn with that."

Turn 4- Maddy- 'Draw. I activate Overlay Commander. This forces you to Xyz summon if you have two or more monsters of the same Level on the field, face-up or face-down.' "I'll overlay my Level 3 Pumprincess and Reborn Zombie, to build the overlay network, and summon out Number 48- Shadow Lich (Atk:1800)."

'I summon out Kurivolt (Atk:300). Next, I activate it's ability, detaching an overlay unit from Number 48 to summon out another Kurivolt (Atk:300). I'll now activate the ability of the second Kurivolt, to detach Number 48's final overlay unit, and summon out a third Kurivolt (Atk:300).'

"3 pathetic monsters for one pathetic excuse for a person." 'I now overlay my 3 Level 1 monsters, to build the overlay network. I summon out Number 54- Lion Heart (Atk:100).' "That is not a threat." 'You wish. We're not allowed to attack on our first turns, so I end my turn with a face-down.'

Astrid- 'My turn. I summon out Tyr of the Nordic Champions (Atk:2000). Thor, attack Thunder-Pegasus with _Pulverizing Pound!' _Thor then brought his hammer down straight onto Thunder-Pegasus, destroying it. 'With that done, I'll attack Kieran directly with Tyr of the Nordic Champions.'

Tyr then raised it's sword, before slashing Kieran with it (Kieran LP:4000-2000). Hope that hurt Kieran- I end my turn.'

Kieran- "I draw. I summon out Phantom Beast Cross-Wing (Def.:1300). I end my turn."

Spica- "My turn again." 'I activate Time Out. This stops your turn from ever happening.'

Maddy- 'I draw. I activate Diffusion Wave Motion, letting Lion Heart attack everything on the field. I now activate it's ability, which means that a. it's unable to be destroyed in battle, and b. by detaching an overlay unit, Kieran takes all the damage I would have done. I also activate Rank Domination, meaning that because Lion Heart is 2 ranks lower than Shadow Lich, it loses 2000 Attack points (Atk:100-0000).'

'Lion Heart, attack everything on the field with _Pulverizing Pounce!' _Lion Heart then built up energy, before jumping straight at everything on the field, but the damage was reflected back (Kieran LP:2000-0000, Astrid LP:4000-100, Spica LP:3000-0000). 'When the monster equipped with Rangnira is attacked, no matter how much damage I take, if my Life points would hit 0, they stop at 100 instead. I have to banish Thor though.'

'I now activate Xyz Recharge. With this, I can tribute Number 54, and then summon out another Xyz monster, and detach the overlay units from the tributed monster to it.' Maddy then howled and hissed, and the number 70 appeared on her forehead, before sinking in, seemingly controlling her.

'She's being possessed by the Number.' 'She's not- she's being controlled by me. I forgot to warn her about the incredible power of these cards, so I felt the need to just make sure that everything goes ok.' 'I summon out Number 70- Deadly Sin (Atk:2500). All we saw after that was Deadly Sin vanishing, and Tyr being choked by thin air seemingly, before some sort of dark wave sent Astrid flying, knocking her out.

After the duel, Kieran grabbed a mic. "Geez- I didn't know that we'd be on the receiving end of that- Hannah taught her well." Phil then jumped out of the crowd, and when Kieran turned around, he was sent flying after Phil speared him. Phil then sent him head-first into a metal post.

Me and Maddy then came over, and watched as Phil took a long run-up, and booted Kieran's head into the post, with Kieran ending up stuck head-first in the superstructure. We were quite shocked by what happened, but we felt no sympathy for Kieran. Then, an interview came up on the TV screens.

"We are very lucky at the moment, because we have been invited into Stonybridge A&E in England, to have a word with Rio Kastle." Somebody then snatched the mic off of them. When we heard the voice, we all realised that Blair had hijacked the interview. 'You're not interviewing Rio- she's asleep. You can interview me if it makes you feel better.'

"Thanks- we have an unscheduled interview with the new World Number 1- Blair Flannigan. Blair, how does it feel to be Number 1?" 'I'm the World Number 1. That means that out of all the duellists in the world, I have to be the most consistent- consistently brilliant. And you all know I can do that.'

"Just going off subject for a moment, are the rumours of you and Rio dating true?" 'No- I am a lesbian, and proud of it, but I'm not dating Rio- she's straight, and single." 'How tough do you think it will be to be the first ever lesbian on the WDC full tour?" 'Not very- people might talk, but as far as I'm concerned, their words mean absolutely nothing.'

"Can I please ask you- do you have a message for anyone here in Copenhagen?" 'No- Hannah's killer knows who they are, and we will have vengeance. I have nothing to say to them, because my actions will speak louder than words.' Birchall was then superkicked from behind by someone wearing a Serotonin uniform.

They then took their uniform off, and it turned out to be Blair in disguise. She just walked up to Phil, before bowing down to him, and flashing her eyes a deep pink for a split-second. The 4 of us then went back to Kieran, who was moving again, and Blair took a thin, metal cord out of her pocket, before choking Kieran with it.

She kept it up until he started spitting blood out, and then started to go blue in the face, when she finally let go. She then grabbed a mic, which wasn't really needed, because of how loud she was shouting anyway. I genuinely thought that she was going to explode, like some sort of nuclear bomb.

'You find this funny Birchall? I SAID DO YOU FIND THIS FUNNY! I have just about had enough now of watching you prance about, being the big I am. You killed one of my best friends. Now I want my revenge. I'll take on any Brave Bone, no matter which one it may be. Which one of you shits wants to be sent to hell?'

Nobody responded, but before Blair could lay waste to them all, Phil grabbed her arms. 'Blair, you and me backstage now.' They then went backstage, while Maddy went... well I don't actually know where she went, and I went to keep an eye on Phil and Blair.

'What's this about?' 'Am I glad you're here.' 'What do you mean?' 'I need all the support I can get. And I can't rely on Maddy all the time- she needs her own life.' He then started crying into her shoulder. 'I'm sorry about how I got Phil.' 'It's not your fault. I just can't cope.' 'I know the feeling- I can't pretend to know what you're going through though.'

I then heard another familiar voice behind us. 'Come on Phil- man up. Hannah's gone, there's nothing you can do about that. Just man up and fight for god's sake.' Claude then came over, but Blair was far from welcoming to him.

'Who do you think you are, telling Phil what to feel? Was it you who saw your wife being killed in front of you because she was trying to protect you for once, rather than it being the other way around? No- I didn't think so.' 'I'm sorry about what happened to Hannah, I really am. But you can't change it, no matter how much you wish you could. You just have to move on.'

'Claude, leave the guy alone. He's allowed to mourn, whether you like it or not. Is it not obvious that he needs support- not telling to man up. Now unless you want to sincerely apologise for being insensitive, it's probably best if you go.' 'You'll learn what I mean sooner rather than later Blair.' He then left, and Blair hugged Phil again.

'You need me Phil, whether you like it or not- I'm here for you. Whatever you need, I can give it to you. I promise.' 'Sorry Blair- I just had a meltdown. It's gonna take a while for me to be over it.' 'I'd understand if you never really got over it- I'm sure that I wouldn't.' 'I have to- you all need me.'

'At the moment, you need us, more than ever. We need to stick together, now more than ever. I'm not going to let the monsters get to you.' 'You're a true mate Blair.' 'That's the biggest compliment I could get from somebody like you. The best day of my life was the day you accepted me into the Renegades.'

On the way back to the stadium, Blair looked like she was suddenly possessed, and wandered off to the right while me and Phil went left. 'Hey- where's Blair gone Jodi?' 'She went left when me and you turned right.' 'I'm going after her.' 'Why? She can look after herself.' 'It's not for her- I need her. No offence Jodi.' 'I understand- she's a much more stable influence than I am- I can admit that myself. I'm coming with you though- you're not doing this by yourself.'

We then went back to try and find Blair. It wasn't difficult- she was in Rhydian's dressing room, standing over his battered and bruised body. 'H.R.C is coming.' Blair then fainted, and Phil picked her up, before taking her to a safer place (our dressing room).

She eventually woke up about 15 minutes later, with Phil just moving her hair out of her face when she woke up. 'What happened? What am I doing here- the last I remember, we were walking towards the main arena. And why are my hands all cut up?' 'You've been in some sort of scuffle with Rhydian. You've left him with blood coming out of his nose, and all sorts of bruises and cuts on his face.'

'Blair, how did you get so good at fighting?' 'I used to be a Thai boxer.' 'Any good?' 'Won all 16 of my fights. I kicked some guy so hard once that he spent the next 6 months in and out of hospital with a slipped disc in his neck. Then again, he did make fun of me for being lesbian. And tall.'

'By the way Blair, I thought you were looking after Rio in the hospital today.' 'She's having CT scans today, and Jade's looking after her anyway. She insisted that I come over to make sure Segolia didn't come sniffing around.' 'She knows about Segolia?' 'Yeah- they're well known over in America as well.'

Maddy then came up behind us. 'Hey everyone, what's up?' 'Nothing much Mads- just that Phil's had a meltdown, Claude's forgotten how to be sympathetic, and I've been possessed by thin air seemingly, and absolutely laid waste to Rhydian. So no- nothing interesting.' 'That's what the cuts on your hands are from then.' 'Presumably.'

'And what's this about Dad having a meltdown? You're not allowed to have a meltdown without me Dad, you should know that by now. And I saw Claude outside- he's pretty pissed off.' 'Not half as pissed off as this little one is.' 'Little? I'm 6ft 1in.' 'What's up with him anyway?'

'He told Phil to stop mourning, and to "deal with it" in relation to what happened to Hannah.' 'Just ignore him- he's grumpy because he's gotten wind that I've promoted Jodi ahead of him. There's not much point in making the official announcement tomorrow- everyone seems to know.'

'You're gonna do a great job Maddy- I have my full faith in you. As I have full faith in Blair leading the Lupine Warriors. That's why I'm comfortable with taking a few weeks off to get myself together again, and regroup. I will be back though, and when I am, we'll sort out permanent roles.'

'You need some time off first.' 'I know- I don't want to, but I need it- even I can admit that. Anyway, it's time for your duel Jodi.' 'Oh yeah, thanks. I trust you to show your power Jodi. I have my full faith in you, and you will reward that faith.' 'Yeah- I'm fully committed to you master. Doesn't matter what anyone else says- my soul belongs to one person, and it's you.'

Phil then got out a metal collar. 'Jodi, I want you to have my Primal Number for this duel. That's what the collar's for- you put it around your neck, and it harnesses the immense power of a Primal Number. You don't have to use the Primal Number, but if you feel like you need it, it's there.' He then put it around my neck, and clipped it together at the back.

'This shows my commitment to you and you alone master.' 'Correct- it does. You know what to do Jodi, so salute.' 'All for the Renegades.' I then left for my duel, with Phil, Blair, and Maddy following me.

Point of View- Blair

When we got back in, Martin and Rachel were coming out, being led out by Birchall. "The following is a tag-team duel. Introducing first, representing the Brave Bones, from Buenos Aries, Argentina, Martin Garcia. And his tag-team partner, also representing the Brave Bones, from Orlando, Florida, Rachel Eckersall."

When they got to the duelling zone, Rachel was injected with another Neuro-Needle, contorting her face in anger, while Martin took off his leather jacket, and got out his duel disk (which was light blue with the words "Brave Bones" on it). Rachel's was plain Black with "Brave Bones" on it.

Dead Flowers then hit, as Jodi and Kris came out. "Introducing their opponents, representing the Lupine Warriors, from Greenock, Scotland, she is Jodi Allen. And her tag-team partner, also representing the Lupine Warriors, from Salem, Massachusetts, the Saviour of Misbehaviour- Kris Travis."

The two of them came down together, and Kris took his chewing gum out, his face one of intensity. When they got to the duelling zone, they grabbed their duel disks, and began the duel.

Brave Bones ([8] Rachel Eckersall + Martin Garcia LP:4000 vs. Lupine Warriors ([14] Kris Travis + [40] Jodi Allen LP:4000)

Turn 1- Rachel- "My turn. I summon out Gusto Codor (Atk:1000). Next, I release it, to activate Gusto Mesh. I pay 600 Life points, to summon out a Gusto Synchro monster. I summon out Daigusto Gulldos (Atk:2200, BB LP:4000-3400). I end my turn with a face-down."

Turn 2- Jodi- 'I draw. I activate Hand Destruction, forcing each one of us to discard our entire hands, and draw a brand new one. I now have 5 Earth-attribute monsters in my graveyard, letting me summon out Grandsoil, the Elemental Lord (Atk:2800).' "Where the hell did you get that from?"

'I stole it off of some guy who called himself Sayer. You might know him.' "You stole that off of Sayer!" 'Yeah. I now activate Nightmare Overlay. By paying the princly sum of 1000 Life points, I can Xyz summon using monsters in my graveyard. I overlay the two Level 5 Space-Time Police, and the 2 Level 5 Leo Wizards, to build the overlay network, and summon out Chaos Number 69- Heraldry Crest of Horror (Atk:4000, Jodi LP:4000-3000).'

'I believe that I'm allowed to attack now. First though, I'll equip Chaos Number 69 with White Veil. With this, when my monster attacks, all of your spells and traps are destroyed, and their effects negated. Number C69, destroy Daigusto Gulldos with _Chaos Matter Demolition!' _

Heraldry Crest of Horror created a massive wave of dark energy in it's claws, and shot it straight at Gulldos, causing an explosion, sending Rachel flying (Rachel LP:3400-1600). 'Like that? Because Grandsoil's just raring to go. Attack her directly.' Grandsoil moved in, digging the ground up as it moved, ending the duel early (BB LP:1600-0000).

After the duel, Jodi just looked at Kris, and they walked off together. Straight after that though, there was an announcement. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Hannah Robinson-Cummings was due to defend her Challenge Belt title tonight against Vector. Due to Hannah's death however, we have had to obviously strip her of the title."

"We have had a meeting, and Vector will not be automatically awarded the title. Instead, we will have a title match between him, and Birchall, who's suspension we have cancelled. No Renegade is entitled to challenge for any titles, and should any Renegade lose a title, they will have no right to ever challenge for it again."

"Rio Kastle is unable to defend her title in the next month according to doctor's reports. This would normally mean that the titles must be vacated. However, Blair's contract has a clause that states that if Rio is unable to compete for 4 weeks or more, then she has 7 days to choose a new tag partner to defend the titles against. However, because Maddy already holds a title, it cannot be her."

'The next tournament is in 6 days- you'll get a title defence then.' "I am very pleased to hear that, because you will have to defend your title against Spica and the loser of tonight's Challenge Belt match-up.' 'They don't stand a chance, no matter who I team up with. I could team up with Birchall and still win, and let's face it- he's completely useless.'

We then decided that even though Claude had a duel against Alito to end their feud, we were just going home. 'Right- I'm off.' 'We're coming as well.' 'I've already let Rob know, and he'll be at the airport shortly.'

'Phil, I'm not stupid- I know that the reason you've left early isn't because you're bored of the duelling.' 'You're completely right- I should never have come. Not while Rio's still ill in hospital- she needs me, and I need her just about as much.' 'I didn't know you felt that strongly.' 'Yeah- it's just hit me that I've left her pretty much alone all day.'

'She can cope without you.' 'It's me that can't cope, not her. Looking at her in that hospital bed reminds me that I can't just have self-pity, I need to think about her in that hospital, potentially having serious brain damage.' 'Let's get going then.' We then ran to the airport.

When we got to the airport, Rob was waiting for us. This time, Phil spoke to him... briefly. 'Newcastle Airport please.' 'Ok, you visiting Rio in the hospital?' 'Yeah.' 'Give her my best wishes.' 'Will do, cheers mate.' He then got on the plane, and the rest of us followed him.

Thankfully, he spent most of the plane journey asleep, so he didn't reflect as much on what's happened. At least we don't think he did. About an hour into the journey, we had to stop for refuelling in Hoffenheim. And there, we notice Allyx, to our surprise, and she got on the plane.

'Hey guys, where's Hannah?' 'You've not heard either then.' 'Heard what? Don't tell me she's gone on holiday without Phil.' 'She's gone on a permanent holiday to heaven.' 'What Maddy's trying to say is that Hannah's dead- shot dead by Birchall, and everyone seems to blame us lot for it.'

Obviously Allyx was upset by that. 'Sorry you had to learn like that.' 'I wouldn't have wanted to hear it from anybody else. I know it's not your fault at all- you wouldn't lay a finger on her in a violent way, never mind shoot her.' 'You're right there. Rio was also shot, and Jodi's lost some vision in her left eye.'

'How's your eye at the moment?' 'Can barely make anything out- it's all blurred and out of focus.' 'How's Rio?' 'She's in hospital, and she spent 6 days in a coma. She's getting better now though.' 'Is that where you're off to now? 'Yeah. Rob's dropping us off at Newcastle Airport, and we'll drive from there.'

Rob didn't drop us off at the airport though- he dropped us off just behind the hospital. 'Cheers Rob.' 'No worries- I'll get in trouble if anyone sees this thing parked here though.' Dad said nothing, but saluted Rob as he got off. 'Hey Mads.' 'What is it Rob?' 'Just keep an eye on your Dad for me, will you?' 'I'll try to. See ya.' We then got off, and went into the hospital.

When we got to Rio's ward, she had her eyes tightly shut. 'Don't be noisy- she's sleeping.' 'Cheers Akiza. Where's Jade?' 'She went home about 2 hours ago- she wasn't feeling too good. Rio was asleep anyway though.' 'Fair enough. How did the CT scans go?' 'She has got brain damage. It's bad as well.'

'What do you mean by bad?' 'Bad as in she might well have to relearn how to read and write, and there's no guarantees about her mental state. We'll have to see how she progresses before we make any kind of estimate on how long it will be before she can go home. She's going to be off of college well into the new year though.' 'I'll let them know, thanks.'

'It could have been worse. That bullet by all rights should have killed her instantly- it was point blank range. The only thing that saved her was that Birchall's knowledge of anatomy isn't that good- if she'd been shot in the top of the neck, only two inches lower than where the bullet went in, then the best case scenario would have been permanent paralysis from the waist down.'

'Thank goodness for that.' 'She got lucky. She's a tough kid though- she's fighting it really hard. She's determined to emerge with as little permanent problems as possible. She's making a very slow recovery, but it is a recovery.' 'Am I ok to spend the night with her?' 'Yeah, go on then. But if I tell you that you have to go, you go immediately. Understood?' 'Yeah, sure- I don't want to endanger your job at all.' 'It's appreciated Phil.'

Rio then let off a loud yawn, waking up. I was surprised at how gentle his voice was. 'Hi Rio, how are you feeling?' 'Hot.' 'You want a glass of water?' 'Please.' 'I'll go and get it- I'll be faster than you.' 'Cheers Maddy.' 'No worries- I'll have it in a minute.'

'What's the situation with the tag titles- have I let Blair down?' 'Rio, you've not let me down at all. And I needed to ask you something- am I ok to find a new tag partner to keep the titles?' 'Of course you can Blair- just remember that I helped you earn that.' 'Rio, I'd never forget that.' 'Good.'

'You don't sound too well.' 'That's what's to be expected I suppose. Jade was here earlier, but she sounded really croaky, so that's probably why she's not here now.' 'I know she went home- Akiza told us.' 'That woman deserves a medal- she's been so attentive, I've not needed to want for anything.'

'Yeah- she's doing a really good job. Rob asked me to give you his best wishes.' 'Thanks. I'll be back on the road with you as soon as possible.' 'Don't rush Rio- it's not going to do you any good.' 'I know- I want to get back to normal life though. Well as normal as I can get anyway. I know that I've got a lot of making up to do for letting Hannah die like that, right in front of me.'

'Rio, that was not your fault. You could not have prevented that at all.' 'She was right in front of me- I saw the whole thing. I couldn't even distract Birchall.' 'You really think he would have paid notice to you? He would have just blasted your brains out first.' 'At least then I'd be with Hannah again. Not that I don't like any of you lot. Oh, just ignore me.'

'Rio, you're unable to help it. We just want you to get better- you are our priority right now. We need to nurture you back to full health, and that's what we intend on doing, no matter how long it takes. I promise you Rio, you will get better.' 'Thanks. I'll at least try to- for you.' 'Don't do it for me, do it for Rio Kastle- do it for yourself.'

Maddy then came back, with a bottle of water. 'Couldn't find any water dispensers, so I just nipped down to the shops to get you a bottle.' Phil then put his hand on Rio's head. 'You've got one hell of a fever- you're absolutely burning up. I could use you as a heater actually.' 'Very funny.'

Just as she said that, Nash arrived. 'Just to check- you don't have a problem with me visiting my sister.' 'Course not- I can see that you actually do care. You're probably a genuinly alright Barian at heart- you just need to show it more.' 'You're being nice to me. What's up with you?'

'Maybe I've realised that life's too short to spend time messing around with meaningless little squabbles. You've got your priorities, I've got mine. The one priority we share at the moment is Rio's welfare.' 'We share a second one as well- getting payback on that little rat Birchall.'

'That's not a priority at the moment- once Rio's a bit better, then we can start to think about getting revenge.' 'That we can agree on. I'm sorry if I've been grumpy, and too forceful.' 'I'm sorry if I've been a bit heavy-handed in response to you. Just remember not to alienate your family, because you don't know how long you could have with them.'

'Deep words. Rio, I'm sorry I've made mistakes.' 'I still love you- you're my brother.' 'Listen Phil- when this whole situation with Vector is over, would me, Dumon, and Mizar be allowed to join you?' 'We'll discuss that as and when is necessary. I'm really sorry about what happened to Hannah- you made a perfect couple.'

'Not perfect enough evidently. I just kinda wish I could have known that my dreams were actually being truthfull- then I could have prevented it.' 'We all feel like that- we all think we could have prevented it. The pain will ease slightly eventually though- you're one of the most inspirational people I know. I know I doubted you and tried to wreck your relationship, but I can admit that you were good to her- she was never left wanting for anything.' 'Thanks Allyx.'

When we got home, Phil downed 4 bottles of Fosters, before getting up to cook for everyone. After quite a nice meal (would have been nicer if he'd been sober), we decided to get an early night. Well when I say we, I mean everyone apart from Phil, who stayed up half the night boozing.

Point of View- Phil

3:40am, and I was finally asleep. Suddenly though, someone appeared to me in a dream, but I couldn't work out who they were, and their voice wasn't familiar to me even. 'Phillip, you need to listen to exactly what I say.' 'Who are you?' 'You'll learn soon enough. You should not blame yourself for what happened on that fateful day.'

'What do you mean?' 'The fateful day- October 31st 2014. Do not blame yourself for what happened- Birchall was at fault, not you. You need to protect all those you hold dear, you need to put your energies into that rather than blaming yourself for somebody else's actions.'

'I understand what you mean, but I don't understand how I'm supposed to do it.' 'Just listen- you have it in you to do it.' 'Who are you anyway- are you another of Icaron's agents, like N?' 'You could say that.'

The voice then revealed her true form. 'I really am tired- I'm officially hallucinating.' 'Your're not.' 'Is that really you Hannah?' 'My love, I see you again.' 'Why- why did you leave me?' 'I didn't want to- it was too soon. I'm working as an agent for Icaron now. I said hi to Mum for you.'

'How's she been?' 'Missing me. And I miss you- I'd do anything to have just one more night with you. That's why I insisted that I deliver this message to you myself. Don't punish yourself for what's happened- you need to concentrate on everyone else. My destiny is over- yours is not.'

'What if I don't want a destiny without you?' 'My spirit will always be a part of you- when you feel that all hope has gone, remember that I'm still with you. I love you, and I always will do. I've got a spot reserved for you for when your destiny eventually ends, but I hope that that does not happen for a long time.'

'What must I do Hannah? I need guidance.' 'They all need you still. I am not allowed to tell you anything that might give away your destiny, but I can tell you that Rio will recover, and need you, more than ever perhaps. Remember who's to blame though, and remember that you have nothing to blame yourself for- maybe even remarry if you feel that you can.' 'I don't feel that it would be right. The only person I'd even consider remarrying to is Rio, and even when she recovers, she wouldn't want to feel like she's replacing you.'

'Fair enough- that is your decision. I have to go soon, but N comes when you need answers.' 'Who is N anyway?' 'All I know is that all of Icaron's agents are people who pledged allegiance to his might, and then met an untimely end. They joined up with the promise of one day getting revenge on those who wronged them.'

'Anything else? Because you're fading.' 'One last thing- tell Maddy that she is so special- everyone needs to realise just how special they are, but most of all Maddy- she's too modest. M18 4 Ever my love.' 'I love you too Hannah, M18 4 Ever.' She then disappeared. And I went back to sleep.

Point of View- Maddy

'Morning Dad.' 'Morning everyone. I'm sorry I've been a fucking waste of your time recently, but I'm done feeling sorry for myself. Maddy, why don't you go and use that voucher today?' 'What- the hairdressers one?' 'Yeah- that's the one. All you need to do is find somebody else to go with you. And don't even think of asking me.'

'I know Dad. Tough decision. Who wants to go?' 'It's up to you Mads- whoever you think deserves it.' 'I think that Blair deserves it... and she needs sharpening up a bit as well. By the way Dad, you've changed your tune a bit. Has something happened overnight?'

'It's funny you should ask that, because another one of Icaron's agents visited me last night.' 'Who's this one?' 'I'll give you a clue- I was married to her.' 'Hannah?' 'Yeah- she's now an agent, all in black. She reminded me that however hard life is, we always have her by our side, if not in body, at least in spirit.'

'That's good.' 'I'm going to spend a while at the hospital, to see how Rio is.' 'I'll be over when we're done.' 'I'll meet you at the base before the meeting. I still need a couple of weeks off of club duty, but I'll be back in action duelling in Riga.' 'That's really good- as long as you're ready.' 'I'll be ready- Jodi, I'm challenging you to a duel today in the arena, just as a warm-up for me. A tough warm up, but a warm-up nonetheless.' 'Great- see you there.'

Just as Jodi went out, I gave Dad a massive hug. 'Sorry I've been useless recently.' 'I'm just glad to have my Dad back.' 'I am as well. I'm happy for you to get yourself a new look, as long as you don't cut your hair too short.' 'Because then it'd look stupid.' 'No- stroking your hair calms me down.' 'Why does that not surprise me with you?'

'Does anyone want breakfast?' 'I'll do that Blair- if you want some, just sit down.' 'Uh, cheers.' While Dad was doing breakfast, Blair voiced some concerns to me. 'Don't you think he's acting a little bit oddly?' 'Not really, why?' 'Dunno- something just feels different.' 'What- the fact that he's smiling?' 'No- it's not that. He just seems a little bit too cheerful, almost as if he's hiding something.'

'What like?' 'That's the thing- I don't know. Something's definetly not right though.' 'I don't quite see where you're coming from Blair, but I'm not gonna doubt you.' 'I could be wrong, but something defiantly seems a little bit strange.' She then closed her eyes, and focused. 'If you're wondering what I'm doing Maddy, I'm trying to use my power as an empath to find out just what's going on in his very heart.'

'I see it.' 'What do you see?' 'I see that he misses Hannah a lot.' 'Obviously.' 'But at the same time, this is a fresh start for him- maybe Hannah was not the one that he used to dream about. Maybe fate has something else in store for him.' 'Anything else?' 'Yeah- he knows in his heart of hearts that Icaron's powers haven't been working properly for him since I joined. He's wondering if that's a sign.'

'A sign of what?' 'He needs to bide his time, and he needs to keep an eye on me- he knows that Birchall's not going after you next, but he's going after me instead, because I have great power in me that has not been unlocked yet.' Blair then fainted for a moment. 'You ok?' 'Yeah, sorry- my powers haven't developed fully yet, so using them for a long time is difficult.'

Dad then came in, with breakfast. 'Dad.' 'Maddy.' 'You know you can tell us two anything.' 'I know, yeah.' 'We know that you're hiding something deep down.' 'Go on then- what am I hiding?' 'You know that I'm not going to be Birchall's next target. And you know who will be.' 'Go on.' 'Blair.'

'Ok, you got me there.' 'We know that we had you there- an empath showed us that you were hiding something.' 'Who is this empath?' 'Blair- that's why she's Birchall's next target.' 'Don't get it.' 'Birchall wants powerful people. He sees Blair as easy to manipulate. Of course we know that isn't true.'

'Honestly Phil, what do you think of me. And I can tell when you're lying.' 'It's a pity that a. you're my cousin, and b. you're lesbian. You are an absolute star Blair, and I wouldn't have been able to make it through the first week without Hannah if it wasn't for both of you two. I think you're going to become World Champ this year, and not a moment too soon.'

'Uh, thanks. Wasn't expecting that, and you weren't lying either. I really hope that you're ok.' 'Thanks for the concern Blair, but I'll be fine.' Just as we were speaking, there was a knock on the door. 'I'll get it Phil.' Blair went to the door, and Donna was there, with Maverick.

'Hi, come in if you want.' 'Cheers.' 'First time I've been in here.' 'Welcome to Ashworth Brook Farm Maverick.' 'Oh yeah, I forgot to thank you Maverick.' 'What for Maddy?' 'You saved my life. You caught me when I was falling- you saved me.' 'I did my duty. My mission is to protect you all as much as I can, no matter what the personal cost.'

'Blair, if you want me to team up with you, I'll vacate my Young Gun title.' 'You earned that title, and besides- more titles equals more power. So no- you just keep defending your title. Maverick, I'm calling upon you to be my tag partner while Rio is ill.' 'If that is what you wish, then I will do that for you my mistress.' 'Good- I'll build your deck for you as well.' 'Thank you mistress- you are our salvation.'

'We only came to drop off this card. It's a get well soon card for Rio- I've just come back off of holiday in Spain.' 'You heard about Hannah?' 'Yeah. I would say the usual stuff about being sorry for your loss, but that wouldn't help at all. So I decided to make sure that those Diety cards were ready. Finished them this morning, with Maverick's help.'

'Thanks Dona, and thanks Maverick. Maverick, how about you use that Thunder deck that's in the Arena?' 'If that's what you think would work best.' 'Phil, that's a good idea actually.' 'Great. Only I know where it's kept, so I'll get it out later- I'm gonna be down there anyway.'

'Thanks. Anyway, we'd better get going before they close for lunch.' 'Yeah- it'll do us some good to have some bonding time.' 'Yeah, course it will. See you later, and thanks for breakfast.' 'You're very very welcome.' We then went out, leaving Dad with Donna and

Maverick.

Point of View- Phil

So Phil, what are you doing now?' 'Just gonna get some work done here, and then I'm going to the hospital- Rio needs some company, and now Jade's coming down with the flu.' 'You want a lift down?' 'Yeah, thanks. After going to the hospital, I'm meeting Jodi at the base for a little duel.' 'Nice. You sure you're ready?' 'I've gotta be- life doesn't stop when you want it to.'

'I suppose you're right there. When's the funeral if you don't mind me asking you?' 'New Year's Eve. I'm going to have a big statue made in Hannah's figure, and have it erected outside the base, as a mark of respect to her.' 'That's nice- I'll pay something towards it.' 'Thanks.'

'I've got a new bandanna that you might like- it's Orange, with a lightning bolt coming down the centre of it.' 'Wow- that actually looks great.' 'It's with your help- you provided the technology that I needed.' 'I'm actually on the lookout for a small shop for you to use for your works. How did you do the earlier ones anyway?'

'Hand-painted. Took me a week to make each batch- that's why I wasn't at the stall every day. I was in Stonybridge because my parents had recently moved us there from Corwen. I didn't want to move, but they told me that we could earn a lot more money in Stonybridge. It turns out that it was actually because they owed over £3000 to Segolia Corporation for business links with me, which I terminated.' 'When did you terminate them?' 'When I met Maddy. Wolfblood's aren't dangerous animals- they're just like us.'

'If only they realised that.' 'We'll just have to beat it into them then.' 'Are we going?' 'Oh yeah. Do either of you want a Bacon butty first?' I'll eat it while we're moving thanks.' 'Yeah please. As it turns out, Serotonin members do have stomachs still.' 'Yeah- it's just sleep you don't need.'

We then set off for the hospital. When we got there, Olivia and Mark were waiting for me. 'Hey guys, what's up?' 'We heard that Rio's critical in hospital, and Hannah's dead.' 'Rio's stable now, and conscious.' 'We've only just got back from Jamaica, where we were on business.'

We then went in (all 5 of us). When we got in, doctors were standing over Rio, who was asleep. 'Is Rio ok?' 'We had to put her under anasthetic after she started screaming, saying that someone was talking to her inside her head.' 'Paranoia?' 'Possibly, we don't know. There was some peculiar brain waves though- Dr. Azinski picked up on those. You may speak to her if you wish.' 'Thanks, yeah.'

The doctor then took me and Donna into a little office, where Akiza was, doing some paperwork. 'Dr. Azinski, sorry to disturb you, may these two have a meeting with you. It's about patient number 106- Rio Kastle. Is that ok?' 'Yeah- just leave us to it.' 'Yes, as you wish maam.'

'So, what seems to be the issue?' 'The doctor said that you picked up on some weird brain waves.' Akiza then turned her computer screen around, and showed some brain waves. 'Yeah, I did, during a routine inspection. As you can see here, there are two sets of brain waves. The top ones are from when she woke up earlier, and were completely normal for somebody who was asleep not long before the scans.'

'The bottom ones?' 'They are something I have never seen before- I have never seen such anomalies before. In fact, there is nothing on record anything like this in this hospital's 74 year history. It's either very selective brain damage, or...' 'Someone's trying to contact her using telepathy.'

'Any ideas?' 'It's one of 4- Girag, Spica, Alito, or Vector.' 'It can't be Girag or Alito, because they lack the mental capacity to actually do that.' 'Because they're being controlled by Don Thousand?' 'No- because they're complete and utter knuckleheads. Even if Don Thousand commanded them to do that, they simply do not have the mental strength to actually do that.'

'So it's one of two.' 'Yeah, basically. I don't see why Vector would do that, because he wants to absorb Marin's powers. So her being in a mental institute would be counter-productive.' 'Precisely. But then again, Vector might be trying to distract us.' 'Spica's proved that she does things a little bit more directly than that.'

'If you think about it, what gripe would Spica have with Rio?' 'Try to anger Maddy?' 'A distinct possibility- Spica would like nothing more than to embrarrase Maddy.' 'Very true. Why target Rio though? Why not do something like attack me? That would really enrage her.'

'That's the cruicial factor- who would want to do that more?' 'I've got a suggestion- ring Blair.' 'Her and Maddy are having some bonding time. I'll give her a quick ring though, just to see what she thinks. Donna, has your phone got Blair's number in?' 'No- why?' 'My phone's out of credit.'

Maverick then came in. 'I've got her number.' 'How did you hear us?' 'Mark asked me to let you know that Rio's waking up.' Maverick then tossed her phone over to me as we left the room. 'What's a member of Serotonin doing with a phone.' 'They're very useful for development.'

'Development?' 'Yeah- Serotonin are developmental talents- people who we think will be extremely special eventually, but need a lot of training first. Most of the Lupine Warriors are just a bit rough around the edges. And Rio's in the Lupine Warriors of her own accord- she asked to be dropped down.'

We then went back into the actual ward, and Rio was still waking up. 'No- please- get away from me.' 'What are you on about?' 'I'm too much trouble- I don't want you getting hurt. Just go!' 'Rio, we're not going anywhere.' 'Why though- I just bring heartache and destruction.'

'Because we care about you. We don't care if you think that we should go- the fact that we're here, day after day, is enough evidence to prove that we care Rio.' 'But... I... ruin everything. Stop telling me that I ruin everything!' 'Who's telling you that?' 'The underworld- the undead are coming to get me! Maddy's in danger!'

'Rio, calm yourself down.' 'THEY'RE COMING TO GET ME! MADDY BEWARE!' 'Nobody is going to harm you on my watch.' I then focused my power. Rio's eyes briefly flashed red before she seemed to wake up, almost oblivious to what had been happening. 'What happened?' 'That doesn't matter Rio. What matters is that we care about you, and we aren't going to let any harm come to you.'

Donna then pulled mee over to one side. 'What did you do?' 'It was too dangerous to put her fully into her trance. So I activated her trance for a few seconds- just long enough to send Spica's spirit scurrying away.' 'So it was Spica?' 'I worked out the moment that Maddy was mentioned.'

'What are you gonna do about it?' 'I'll discuss that with Blair and Maddy.' I then rung Blair up on Maverick's phone. 'Hello?' 'Hi Blair, itt's me- Phil.' 'Hey Phillip, what's up?' 'We're at the hospital, and... I'm going to come straight out and say it- Rio's being terrorised by the Barian that they call Spica.'

'Thanks for letting me know. Maddy, Rio's being tortured mentally by Shannon.' 'Tell Dad that we'll be over soon.' 'We've just finished in the hairdressers, so we'll be at the hospital in a couple of minutes- Maddy's just found somewhere that she can use Primal Eolas.' 'Great- see you in a couple of minutes then.' 'See ya, bye. By the way, me and Maddy look hot with our hair, especially Maddy.' I then ended the call.

A couple of minutes later, Blair and Maddy came waltzing in. Maddy had had a good 3 inches cut off of the bottom of her hair, and had a re-colour to make her hair glisten with a deep red colour. Meanwhile, Blair had had 2 ½ inches taken off of her hair, and she'd also had most of her fringe cut back to leave it as just a spiked style. She'd also tied her hair back the way Maddy usually had her hair while duelling, with just the top portion of her hair in a ponytail, and the rest of the hair down, and she'd tied it back with a black scrunchee. Or to be more exact, Maddy's black scrunchee.

'Hey, you ok Rio?' 'Yeah- I think so. I'm sorry- I don't know what happened.' 'Spica was getting into your head. Phil scared her off.' 'Cheers Phillip.' 'You did good Dad.' 'Don't go mad with Spica in Riga please.' 'I'll tell her that she needs to learn that if she wants us, she doesn't mess around.'

'You both look wonderful by the way.' 'Thanks.' ' With the 50% discount, how much was it?' 'For me, £8.90. For Mads, it was just over a tenner.' 'How much over a tenner?' '£12.50.' 'Jeesus.' 'I'm ready to finally take my rightful throne Dad- thanks for making me realise it.' 'You're welcome. I'm off to the base in a minute, before Jodi blows up with me.'

Maddy then gave me a hug. 'No matter how successful and how grown up I might be, I'll always be your little cub.' 'And you're a beautiful cub at that.' 'How about we make that announcement about our team in Riga?' 'Sounds good to me- I'm in a better place mentally.' 'I'm glad to hear that Dad.' I then left.

Point of View- Blair

Rio woke again a couple of minutes later. 'You look so nice Blair.' 'Thanks Rio.' 'You do as well Maddy- you look every bit the princess that you really are.' That just made Maddy blush. 'Geez- thanks. I can't really reply to that, but I'm glad you're recovering.' 'Glad somebody is.' 'Why- who doesn't?'

'No-one should be- I'm certainly not.' 'Why though?' 'I just bring pain and destruction wherever I go. Hannah died, and it was for me- it was all my fault she died. She was trying to help me- I shouldn't have come to you in the first place.' 'Don't say that Rio- we helped you because we all like you.'

'You were right to doubt me Maddy. From the very start, you saw through me.' 'I didn't- I tarred all Barians with the same brush. I didn't realise that you were so amazing, and such a true friend. You've bailed me out of trouble on a few occasions, and I like to think that we've grown rather close. The point is that we don't mind if you think you cause destruction- we know differently, and we actually wanna help you, not punish you. Mum's death was not your fault.'

'By the way, Donna's left a get well soon card. This is how much we care about you- I had one made especially for you online.' 'Thanks Mads. I don't deserve it, but I've gotta try and redeem myself.' 'As long as you know that we're all willing you on to get better. I'll be giving everyone an update on your condition at the meeting today.'

'What's the situation- Phil's probably not ready to return yet.' 'He's not- I've taken over, at least for now. Dad asked us, and I agreed to do it eventually.' 'I was hoping you'd say that. Who's leading the Lupine Warriors then?' 'That would be me- Maverick's taken Serotonin over. Jodi's now out of hospital, and Mads' assistant.' 'Nice. Is she recovering?' 'Yeah- she's got very little vision from her left eye, and is permanently disabled, due to having just over half vision from that eye. Her right eye should regain full vision soon enough. Took over 15 hours of plastic surgery to rebuild her face. They did a good job though.'

'That's nice. Hopefully I'll be out soon.' 'Don't take it too fast- for starters, you'll probably be bed-ridden still when you get back. No offence, but you seem to have lost quite a bit of weight.' 'I know- I have no idea why though. Anyway, I had better get some sleep- I'm getting really tired.' 'We'll go then.' 'Bye Rio, get well soon.' 'I'll try to, for you lot.'

When we got to the base (using Primal Eolas), Maddy opened the door, and Phil and Jodi were just activating their duel disks. 'You asked for this Jodi, you're gonna get it.' 'Bring it- I've always wanted to duel you.' 'Be careful what you wish for- you might just get it.'

Arena Duel: Phil Robinson-Cummings LP:4000 vs. Jodi Allen LP:4000

Turn 1- Phil- 'I draw. I activate Luminous Dragon Ritual, letting me discard Photon Crusher, to summon out Paladin of Photon Dragon (Atk:1900). I now activate it's ability, letting me release it to summon out Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon (Atk:3000). I'll end my turn with a face-down.'

Turn 2- Jodi- 'My turn. I'll discard one card to activate Oricalcum Stone. This lets me summon out any monster from my hand, as long as I half it's Attack and Defence points, and banish it when it leaves the field. I do regain Life points when it's banished though. I summon out Silent Psychic Wizard (Atk:1900-950).'

'I now summon out Heraldic Beast Aberconway (Atk:1800). I now overlay my two Level 4 monsters, to build the overlay network, and summon out Number 8- Heraldic King Genome-Heritage (Atk:2400). I now activate it's ability, letting it detach an overlay unit to copy your monster's Attack points and abilities, as well as making it's Attack points 0, and negating all the abilities of it.'

Genome-Heritage then fired a beam of black light at Photon Dragon, before dragging the light back to itself, making Photon Dragon fade until it was just a mere shell, and Genome-Heritage morphed into the image of Photon Dragon (Number 8 Atk:2400-3000, Photon Dragon Atk:3000-0000).'

'Number 8, attack Photon Dragon with _Flash Impact!' _'I activate Photon Escape. This lets me end the Battle Phase by banishing Galaxy-Eyes.' 'I'll end my turn with a face-down.'

Phil- 'I draw. This is the kind of thing I'm gonna have to deal with. I activate Gishki Aquamirror. This lets me send Galaxy Knight from my hand to my graveyard, to summon out Gishki Levianima (Atk:2700). I now activate Dimension Fusion, letting me pay 2000 Life points, to bring back all my banished monsters. Be revived, Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon (Atk:3000, Phil LP:4000-2000).'

'I now activate the ability of the Galaxy Knight in my graveyard. Because I control a Photon monster, I can Normal summon it without tribute, but it loses 1000 Attack points (Atk:2800-1800).' 'Here comes trouble- you've got three Rank 8 Numbers.' 'I overlay my three Level 8 monsters, to build the overlay network. With the power of this monster, the duel is over! I summon out Neo-Galaxy Eyes Photon Dragon (Atk:4500).'

'I now activate it's special ability. Because Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon is an overlay unit, I can negate all of Number 8's abilities. Go- _Photon Howling!' _Neo Galaxy-Eyes then howled, and Number 8 faded slightly (Atk:3000-2400). I now activate it's other ability, detaching one overlay unit to absorb the overlay units of Number 8, and gaining 500 Attack points for each one (Atk:4500-5500).'

'I now activate the final ability of Neo Galaxy-Eyes. For each overlay unit absorbed, it gets one extra attack. Finish this off with _Ultimate Photon Stream of Destruction!' _Neo Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon, finish this off with _Ultimate Photon Stream of Destruction!' _Neo Galaxy-Eyes then unleashed blasts of light from it's 3 heads, destroying Genome-Heritage, and ending the duel (Jodi LP:4000-4300-0000).'

After the duel, Phil and Jodi hugged each other. 'Thanks Phil- I know where I can improve now.' 'That was a good workout for me. You proved to be a very strong opponent Jodi- it's good to see you recovering.' 'Cheers. How's Rio?' 'Maddy's addressing that in the meeting. Everyone, it's meeting time- in the main room in 5 minutes.'

5 minutes later, and everyone was in the main room for the meeting. Phil took to the podium, with Maddy behind him. 'Hi everyone, thanks for coming. We have Kris with us for his first official meeting today. I know you'll probably recognise him, but we just ask that you treat him like any other member of the Lupine Warriors- no better, no worse.'

'Now onto business. As you know, I am taking a couple of weeks off due to Hannah's death, and burnout. I have thought about it, and I have thought of a suitable replacement for me for the time being. Please welcome the Interim Renegades President- Maddy Robinson-Cummings.'

Maddy then took to the podium, and she put her hood down. 'Thank you Dad. Now I know that there is some of you who will automatically presume that just because I am his daughter, that's why I got this role. I can assure you that I was picked on my credentials, not on my bloodline.'

'I am going to be running a tight ship- some of you will have got used to Phil and Hannah's easier-going ways. I will rule harder- I will not take much crap. If you want to test my patience, you'll face the consequences of your actions. That goes for everybody, not just certain people.'

'Now my assistant was a difficult choice. Eventually though, I settled on someone I trust very much. Ever since I joined the club, she has been like a sister to me, and we have a very close bond, even now. It gives me great pleasure to introduce my Vice-President, and one of the original Renegades- Jodi Allen.'

Jodi then stepped up to the podium. 'Thanks. I know Maddy has a lot to say, so I'll keep this short and sweet- thank you Maddy for giving me this, not based on sentiment, but the fact that you trust me. I have had a discussion with Maddy, and if you want a meeting with her, it goes through me- I am going to be her personal organiser. And if she wants a meeting with you, then I will tell you.'

Maddy then took over again. 'Thanks for that Jodi. As she said, if you want a meeting with me, you have to book it through her. What happens is that you tell Jodi what you want to talk to me about, and why you want to talk to me about it, and also how urgent that is. Then, we're going to talk about it, me and Jodi, and Jodi will get back to you, usually within 24 hours, telling you if and when your meeting is.'

'Now as you know, I was Alpha of the Lupine Warriors. I can't do both jobs by myself, because I also have a College course and a Duelling career to think of. So please welcome the Alpha of the Lupine Warriors- Blair Flannigan. Blair told me that she had nothing really to say, but she will be ruling the Warriors with typical flair and passion. She will be assisted jointly by Lydia and Freja, which is a decision she made about 2 hours ago.'

'Now if any of you have any questions, you may ask me now.' Claude came up with a question. 'When will Phil be back in action?' 'Duelling or club duties?' 'Duelling.' 'Next tournament in Riga.' 'Club duties?' 'That is yet to be decided.' There was no more questions. 'Right- if we're all done here, then'

Akiza then came in. 'Please can I just say something?' 'Go on Akiza.' 'I just wanted to say that I've been offered the job as full-time manager of Stonybridge General Hospital. Am I ok to have the job and retain a place in the club?' 'Yeah- it's great news Akiza. Just make it to as many meetings as possible.' 'I will do, thanks. The hours are quite flexible, so I can make it to more tournaments as well.'

'Great, thanks.' 'By the way Maddy, there was some smoke coming from the room with the Renegade Maker in when I got in here.' 'Thanks Akiza- I'll check it out. For the first time under my tenure, Renegades dismissed.' Me, Phil, and Maddy then went to the Renegade Maker's room.

When we got in there, something looked like it was on fire in it. 'What's on fire?' 'Must be the motor.' 'It has a motor?' 'Yeah- how else would we get the dark energy through? Dad, I need you to get Belle out, I need Blair to stop the motor, and I'll have a look at what's happened.'

Maddy then went to the laptop in there, while I yanked the motor's brake back, stopping it. Phil then undid the straps, and carried Belle off, and her eyes opened, as black as the night sky. 'What's going on?' 'Something's overloaded the motors.' 'Could you get Lydia and Freja for me Dad?' 'Sure.'

A minute or two later, he came back, and both Lydia and Freja were behind me. 'What's up?' 'What was the reading on Belle's darkness level when she got in here?' '19%. The scanner's on the wall.' Maddy then picked up the scanner, and checked it. 'Yeah, it is 19%.' Phil then checked it. 'I know what's happened?' 'What master?' 'The battery's come loose. It's easily done- it's not the most secure of fittings. The darkness level was actually 61%, which explains what happened. The smoke wasn't a fire- it was a failsafe that I installed. Once it goes above 107%, it sets off a smoke signal to stop the generator.'

'Good thinking Phil. Will the process be complete?' '2 days would have done it with the darkness level already in her.' 'Is the level in her dangerous?' 'Not if managed correctly. You feeling ok Belle?' 'Yeah- this is a fresh start for me.' 'You're going to travel with us as the 8th member of Serotonin. Your Serotonin name will be decided at a later date.' 'As you wish- I am at your command- you saved me from certain death.' 'If only I could have saved Hannah from that.'

**How will Phil do in his return tournament? Will Rio's mental state improve? And will the mystery of H.R.C come closer to being revealed? To find out, read Renegades: A New Dawn Chapter 3- Pain Chronicle**


	3. Pain Chronicle

Renegades: A New Dawn

Chapter 3- Pain Chronicle

Point of View- Maddy

'So where are we gonna get the extra Serotonin uniform from then?' 'We've got an extra one, which was originally for anybody who needed a new uniform. It should fit Belle, and if it doesn't, then she'll have to use Maverick's until we get a new uniform.' 'Good idea. You ready for Riga?' 'Have to be. You're only allowed to use one deck there, so I'll take my Cyber deck.'

'Why that one, if you don't mind me asking?' 'There's a new tactic or two that I want to try out. Besides- most people like to go first, so I'll happily go second- Cyber Dragon can easily make it's way into my hand if I don't draw it anyway.' 'What's the new tactics?' 'One is comboing a Chimeratech monster with Overload Fusion late on in a duel. If you have only 5 Cyber monsters in your graveyard, you could get Chimeratech Overdragon out, and have a 5000 Attack point beatstick.'

'Any drawbacks?' 'The monster summoned has to be Dark attribute, which rules out the two traditional fusion monsters- Twin Dragon and End Dragon.' 'Would Overload work with the Chimeratechs? Because you don't use Polymerisation.' 'It's all in the card's text Maddy- you **special **summon the monster, but it's classed as a Fusion summon as well. That means that the Chimeratech abilities don't prevent it.'

'How many monsters do you have in your Cyber deck?' 'Anything between 20 and 27- I usually run a very high monster count in it, because the spells and traps are more often than not continuous. It's a very hard deck to use, and the reason I make it look so easy is because I've been using it like this for years.'

'Belle, the arrangement is that we pick you up here at 8am tomorrow morning, and you are in your Serotonin uniform, and you have your mask with you, but not on. We'll be getting on the plane at Manchester Airport at 8:45am. I'll sort your hair out on the plane. Understood?' 'Yes- I understand.'

'Good. Maddy, Blair, you'll have to be up at 7:50.' 'Ok.' 'Now are either of you duelling?' 'I'm having to defend the tag belts with Maverick.' 'I'll give this tournament a miss, unless I'm forced into defending my title again.' 'They'll make you defend it when you least expect it. Because they know that their main problem is me. As long as I'm around, they don't get what they want, because I'm giving you both advice.'

'You're right there.' 'I know I am- I know what I'm talking about. It's not the first time I've butted heads with authority. Just ask any of my school teachers.' 'You didn't like them?' 'Not really that, I was just very difficult to work with. I'm very strong-minded, and I didn't have a problem with speaking up.'

'I was too timid in school- I didn't like my teachers, but I didn't have the guts to say anything.' 'I'm aware of that.' 'Rhydian tell you?' 'No- I had an old I.T technician mate of mine hack into the CCTV cameras so I could spy on the entire school.' 'Why?' 'I wanted you in the Renegades, but I knew I wouldn't stand a chance if you weren't alone.'

'Did you ask Mum about recruiting us?' 'I did talk to her at length about it.' 'And...' 'And she said that I could do it, as long as I made you our adoptive daughter. I'd actually filed the paperwork for that before we even recruited you.' 'You were that confident?' 'If you hadn't been alone, I would have donned a balaclava, and kidnapped you.'

'So you had it all planned out?' 'Ish. The argument between you and Shannon was unplanned- I had to act very quickly, before you ran away.' 'How did you two get to know each other anyway?' 'Me and Hannah met her on our first date.' 'Nice- what was she doing?'

'She was working in the Coffee shop we went to.' 'That was your first date?' 'No- that was just because it was in December, and we were cold.' 'I'd got the Saturday job to pay for Mum and Dad to go and visit my Auntie in Devon.' 'She was really friendly, and me and Hannah both saw something in her.'

'Then they confronted somebody who was talking shit at me for not giving them their order quick enough. Hannah even gave him a wedgie, and before they were kicked out, they gave me their phone number.' 'Were you sacked after that?' 'No- I quit 3 weeks later after one of the other members of staff planted drugs in my pocket. I was gonna get suspended without pay for a month, but I figured that by the time I came back, there wouldn't be a job for me, so I just quit.'

'Yeah. After that, we kept in touch via Facebook mainly. She was the one who planted the idea of being our daughter in my head- she mentioned that was being bullied at school, and her parents weren't that interested.' 'Talking of parents, Dan and Emma will be in Riga.' 'They're gonna get a mouth-full if they don't leave us alone.'

'Let's just go home- we're up early tomorrow, and you need your tea yet.' 'Oh yeah- what is for tea?' 'Something nice and filling- stew and dumplings.' 'Nice, cheers.' 'No worries- just need to make a stop off on the way back to refuel, and also to pick up some beef mince.' 'Can you get me a bottle of water as well please- I've got a sore throat. That's why I didn't say anything at the meeting.' 'Sure Blair. I don't want either of you coming in with me though, because I'm getting some Christmas presents.'

Eventually, we got back home. While Dad was cooking our tea, Sean walked in. 'How did you get in Sean?' 'Nicked your keys mate.' 'Give them back to me.' 'Ok, if you insist man. I'm just calling over to warn you that Birchall's sniffing around, trying to turn me against you. So he might try it with some other people who are actually stupid enough to believe anything that comes out of his mouth.'

'Cheers Sean. You staying?' 'Nah- got to go mate. Nice to see you though. And Maddy, it were nice havin' a chat with you the other day- you've got a real sweet daughter Phil. She's a credit to you, you hear me?' 'I get ya mate. Bye.' 'Bye.' Sean then left almost as quickly as he'd arrived.

'So who's coming with us tomorrow?' 'Belle, Maverick, Kris, Isabella, and Niall's meeting us over there with Joe.' 'Cool. Why aren't they tagging along?' 'They've made their own way there because they've been on a week-long pub crawl in Prague.' 'Sounds like typical them.' 'Sounds like a Sean idea actually. Except they said nothing about picking up some birds, so it can't be Sean's idea alone.'

'Is all Sean thinks about birds and booze?' 'Yeah- he's a good guy though. Been loyal to us throughout, and he's never even asked to be an actual member of the club- he's just nice to me because we're close mates. What was this about you and Sean having a chat Maddy?'

'It was nothing special- just a little heart-to-heart with each other.' 'Nice. You're doing something right if Sean lets his guard down- he doesn't usually get involved with the whole emotions thing. He's not big on showing how he feels normally, unless he actually likes you a lot as a friend.'

After tea, we all went to bed. When we got up the next morning, Blair didn't quite seem herself. 'What's up Blair?' She replied in a barely audible whisper. 'I've lost my voice- and I feel really sick. How am I supposed to duel if nobody can hear what I'm saying?' 'Blair, we'll get somebody to stand in for you if you can't compete later. Trust me- the WDC will always make sure there is a duel if possible. A hastily-arranged duel is a lot better than no duel at all in their eyes.'

'Are you sure you want to come Blair?' 'Just in case my voice gets better when we get to Riga- we'll be on the plane for a few hours.' 'True actually. If you can't duel later, one of us two will take your place.' 'Thanks. You sure you're up to it Phil?' 'I've gotta get back to normal life at sometime. The end is not always the end of the story- sometimes, it's reminding you that life isn't always nice- that you do have to deal with shit.' 'I suppose you're right.'

'I've got to say- you both look amazing with your hair.' 'Thanks Dad. Took absolutely ages to do mine- I had a full recolour.' 'You look amazing, so it was worth all the money. And that is why I've put all the money spent back in each of your bank accounts.' 'Thanks Phillip, you really shouldn't have done that.' 'I do lots of stuff that I shouldn't do. That's just me.'

We then left for the base, to pick Isabella, Belle, and Maverick up. When we got there, Maverick had her hair in a high ponytail, and Belle and Maverick had their hair down. Belle took her mask off to prove that it was her. 'Jump in everyone.' They then all got into the car, and we left again, this time for the airport.

When we got there, Dad started tampering with the car's tyres. 'What on earth are you doing Dad?' 'I'm changing the tyres.' 'Why?' 'The weather in Riga's really bad at the moment- there's rainstorms a lot currently. So I'm putting special wet weather tyres on the car, because then I can drive a lot faster and safer.' 'Oh right. What's the difference?'

'It's very simple Maddy- the wet weather tyres have long grooves in them to pass the water through safely.' 'How did you know that Blair?' 'I used to live in Detroit- the motor city. I know a lot about cars. Phillip, have you got studded tyres for the winter?' 'Yeah- they're at home. I took the gamble that there wouldn't be snow and ice in Riga.'

'Dad, what would happen if you used wet weather tyres in dry conditions?' 'Nothing dangerous, but specialist weather tyres are very expensive, so you'd be wasting money. In icy conditions, the wet tyres would give you 0 grip. In dry conditions, the ice tyres would struggle- they'd just create friction, and basically burn the rubber off of the tyres. In wet conditions, the studded tyres would have no particular adverse effects, but again, they're very expensive.'

'Cool. Hi Rob.' Rob then came over to us, wearing a massive raincoat. 'Expecting bad weather?' 'Very funny. I hate flying in this weather- it's quite difficult to actually see where you're going. And I've never flown to Riga before. So that's not gonna help us either mate.' 'What do we do then?' 'We fly slowly. That is if you want to get to Latvia in one piece still.' 'I really appreciate this mate.' 'Not a problem- you're a mate of mine, so I'll help in any way possible, even if it is flying in stupid weather conditions'

We then filed onto the plane. Jodi wasn't coming with us, because she had an appointment at the hospital to check on her eye. 'How long is the journey gonna take?' '4 hours usually, but with the weather, probably about 6 hours. We'll have to absolutely motor when we get there.' 'Primal Eolas?' 'We've not really got a say in the matter- I'll have to find somewhere to park the car up first though.'

'I did my research- the airport has a car park. Really good security record apparently as well.' 'Cheers Blair. Belle, come over here, and I'll sort out your hair.' 'Do you have a scrunchie with you Belle?' 'No- I've not been given one yet.' 'Take this one of mine then.' 'Thanks.'

'Thanks for that Maddy.' 'It's not a problem Dad. You know that I'm still dedicated to the cause, I always was, and always will be.' 'I know Maddy, don't worry. I see your dedication every single day that you turn up, and fight tooth and nail under the Renegades banner.' 'It's my honour to fight under the Renegades banner- it fills me with confidence, and gives me a reason to fight. Apart from my master of course.'

'Thanks for taking over the Renegades for now Maddy.' 'I'll take over for as long as you need me to take over for- as long as you come back once you're fit and ready to, because we still need you Dad- we need our founding father.' 'I don't want to have to take this time off, but for myself, I have to. I need to try and re-group a bit- I'm just meeting myself coming back at the moment, if you get what I mean.'

'I get exactly what you mean by that Dad- you know that you need to do something, but you just seem to be getting nowhere while you're trying to do it. I think that's right anyway.' 'That's exactly right Maddy- you really are a complete brainbox, aren't you?' 'I'm whatever you need me to be.'

Once Dad had tied Belle's hair back in a bun, the 4 of us (Maverick, Blair, me and Dad) got to work on building Maverick's deck. 'Maverick, did you build this deck yourself?' 'Yes- I used some cards that I found in a box in the base.' 'That's the spares box- usually used to create basic decks for low-level drones in the arena. I think us three can do something a damn site better than that.'

'Great- I just want to be able to hold my own, and please you all. My only job in life is to obey you all, and follow your every command. Is my hair acceptable for you?' 'I'll sort it out for you Maverick- it's not bad, but it's a little off centre.' 'Thanks Maddy.' 'I'm here to help Dad.'

'Should we include any of our Numbers in her deck?' 'Nah- this deck simply doesn't need them. It's a basic Psychic deck- nothing too special, but it does have a few none-Psychic tricks. Trust me- it's dead easy to use. It's so easy, even a Brave Bone could use it. You feeling any better Blair?' 'Still barely got any voice, but the water is helping thanks.' 'No worries- Hannah's not using it, is she?'

When we got off the plane, Dad tied Isabella's hair back in a plait. He then turned her around, and his eyes glowed red for a moment, opening her mind up to suggestion again. 'Isabella, you will do exactly as we say.' 'Yes master.' 'You are our announcer- it is your job to make sure that everyone knows that we're coming.' 'Yes master.'

'Belle, you are our spokesperson. When we have an announcement to make but don't come out for whatever reason, you're the one whom it falls upon to deliver the message.' 'Yes master.' 'You were both recruited for one reason, and one reason only- to be completely mindless. We recruited you so nobody else could ever have you. We have, in effect, changed your destinies to suit us.' 'Yes master, we will both obey.'

We then used Primal Eolas to get to the stadium on time. When we got there, the Brave Bones were just coming out, with their prime capture with them (Rachel). For the first time in a while, Bolton was with them as well. "I bet you anything that Hannah's glad to be dead right now- with the state of... what do they call them? Oh yeah- the Renegades. Lol."

Mark Davison (Spokesperson for the WDC in Eastern Europe) then calmly walked out. 'Mr. Birchall, the WDC have decided that we will no longer tolerate disrespect like this from any of you. We ended your suspension a week early as a gesture of goodwill after you apologised for your actions.'

'From now on, we will suspend anybody who makes what we see to be an offensive comment about Hannah Robinson-Cummings, or her relationships. You have been warned for the last time Birchall- with your disciplinary record, any slight problem with your behaviour could quite easily result in the permanent revoking of your right to duel in the WDC.'

'There is another reason I am here tonight. Blair Flannigan, I need you to come out here, and tell us who your tag-team partner is.' Blair then went out, with Maverick, to Serotonin's music. Maverick spoke. 'I was going to be Blair's tag partner, but Blair has lost her voice, and therefore is unable to duel today.'

"Just strip 'em of the titles already." 'I was not asking for your advice Vector. Because it is a medical condition, and you are going to be available for the next tournament, I am going to show discrepancy. Maverick, you have 45 minutes to find a tag partner for one night only, otherwise the titles will go to Vector and Spica by forfeit.'

Dad then came out, to new music (The heart wants what it wants by Selena Gomez). He also had his hood up. 'Did I just hear you say that Maverick needs a new tag partner for today?' 'Yes- she has 43 minutes now to find one.' 'Stop the clocks- I'm her tag partner.' 'Do you accept this Maverick?'

'I accept this- I trust him.' 'Do you accept it Blair?' Blair just looked up at Phil, and nodded, before having another swig of her water. 'Do you accept Maverick that if you lose to Spica and Vector with Phil, you will still lose the tag titles.' 'We're not gonna lose, but yes- I accept that.'

'Phil, do you accept that you will be responsible for this as well?' 'Yeah- this shouldn't be difficult. It's hardly a challenge. Let's go and take 'em down Maverick.' 'Yes Master.' 'Blair, keep your title- I don't want to pretend to be the champion. I want to just be the one that's standing in.'

Blair nodded again, and Phil declared 'Hit my...' Just then, Dan and Emma came out. 'I don't remember the Brave Bones having pet dogs.' 'We're here to talk to you Phil. Is Maddy here?' 'Why?' 'Because she needs to listen to what we're about to say.' 'Maddy, come out if you want to.'

I then came out, with Belle by my side, also with my hood up. 'You have 60 seconds.' 'Birchall, any agreement we had was done the moment you tried to shoot Maddy. We do not like Phil at all- he's a loud mouth. But you're just a criminal who's got the whole world wrapped around your little finger.'

'I just wanted to say that me and Emma, we're no longer after your Renegades. We are now after the Brave Bones, for targeting our daughter.' 'She is not your daughter, we do not need your help, go away.' 'You are really ungrateful, you know that?' ' I'm not- I just don't like you.'

'Birchall, if you want to prove how great you are, why not help out your boyfriend Vector by being on his team against us on the 21st December?' 'Good idea. We're not in a relationship though. Maddy's my kind of girl.' 'You're not coming near us. If you do, I might just have to blind you.' 'Oh yeah- how is Jodi?'

'She can see- not brilliantly, but she can see.' 'I don't see her here.' 'There's some club business to attend to back in England. Her staying behind freed me up to do this.' I then charged straight in, but rather than attacking Birchall, I decked Spica with a lariat. "Why didn't you go after me?"

'Why would I do that? I'm gonna let you watch every single one of your allies crumble and break, and then and only then will I get rid of you. Be afraid, be very afraid.' "Nah- I'm not scared. After all, I am the Renegade Killer. Maddy, I killed your Mum- I watched her drop to the ground like a stone. I watched your efforts to revive her end up in vain, and most importantly- I sat back and watched your Dad switch off her life support machine."

'I know what you're trying t do, and it's not working. I know for a fact that your target was me. Bet you thought that killing me would turn Mum and Dad against each other eh? It wouldn't have worked anyway- trust me Birchall. I am the saviour of my kind- if you are the Wolfblood killer, I am the Wolfblood's one hope. And I'm not gonna let them down.'

'Calm Maddy- you don't need to take this on. Just come back to us and we can start over again.' 'Get real- this is my life. You spent over 17 years controlling every aspect of my life. I'm not going to let you do that for one day more. If you really love me, leave me alone. Got it? Because I'm not gonna warn you again.' We then left, to Dad's new music.

'You sure you want to deputise for me Phillip?' 'Yeah, I'm sure Blair. Just give your voice a rest for a while.' Blair just nodded at him. 'You sure you're ready to return Dad?' 'I'll never know if I don't give it a go at least.' 'I just want to know that you're not returning before you're ready to.' 'Maddy, I appreciate your concern. But I have to make a statement. Talking about statements, how about we address the future after the duel, but before the actual tournament starts?' Yeah, good idea. Love you Dad.' 'I love you too Maddy.' Dad then went off for his duel, with Maverick and Belle with him.

Vector and Spica were out first. "The following duel is for the Challenger Tag-Team Championships. Introducing first, representing Don Thousand's Barians, from Barian World, they are the team of Vector and Spica." Vector and Spica came out, full of confidence. When they got to the duelling zone, they both Barian Battlemorphed, and Spica's spelt, Sapphire Blue body glistened in the sunlight of a cold November's day in Riga.

Maverick and Dad then came out, to Serotonin's music, with Isabella introducing them. Maverick had her title belt on her shoulder, as well as having her mask on, and Dad had his hood up. He started of walking backwards, but halfway down the ramp, he raised his fist, and spun 180°. 'Introducing their opponents, first of all, representing Serotonin, from Corwen, Denbighshire, partner, Wales, she is one half of your Challenger Tag-Team Champions- Maverick! And her tag-team partner, from Dystopia, Manchester, England, he is The World's Most Dangerous Man- Phil Robinson-Cummings!'

When they got to the duelling zone, Maverick gave her title to the official, and he raised it up into the air, before they activated their duel disks, and Maverick took her mask off.

Challenger Tag-Team Titles: Don Thousand's Barians ([90] Vector + [92] Spica LP:4000 vs. [15] Phil Robinson-Cummings + (c) Maverick LP:4000

Turn 1- Spica- "I'll start. I draw. I summon out Master Kyonshee (Atk:1850). I end my turn with a face-down."

Turn 2- Maverick- 'I draw. I summon out Psychic Commander (Atk:1400). Next, I activate Emergency Teleport, letting me summon out a Level 3 or lower Psychic-type monster from my hand. Welcome Hushed Psychic Cleric (Atk:0000). I now activate Double Summon, letting me summon out Serene Psychic Witch (Atk:1400).'

'I now use my Level 3 Psychic Commander to give my Level 3 Hushed Psychic Cleric and Level 3 Serene Psychic Witch a tune-up. You are an enemy of the state- the Renegades state. It is a state of grace, and a state of power. We are Serotonin, and we are the workers, the assassins of this state, who remain shrouded in darkness. I summon out Overmind Archfiend (Atk:3200).'

'I now activate the ability of Serene Psychic Witch. Because it was sent to the graveyard, I can banish any Psychic-type monster whose Attack points are 2000 or under from play. I end my turn.'

Vector- "I draw. I summon out Umbral Horror Ghoul (Atk:1800). I now activate my Ghoul's ability, which lets me reduce it's Attack points to 0, and summon out another Umbral Horror monster that has 0 Attack points from my hand. I summon out Umbral Horror Unform (Atk:0000, Ghoul Atk:1800-0000)."

"I now overlay my two Level 4 monsters to build the overlay network. I summon out Number 66- Master Key Beetle (Atk:2500). I'll just toy with you for now, so I'll end my turn with a couple of face-downs."

Phil- 'I draw. I summon out Cyber Dragon through it's ability, because you control monsters, and I do not (Atk:2100). Next, I summon out Comoron (Atk:900). I'll now use my Level 3 Comoron to give my Level 5 Cyber Dragon a tune-up. I summon out the Red Dragon Archfiend (Atk:3000).'

'I'll end my turn with a face-down.'

Spica- "My turn. I summon out another Master Kyonshee (Atk:1850). Next, I activate Zombie Theft. Here's the deal- because I control two or more Zombies, I can pay 2000 Life points, and then I can name a card. If it's in either of your decks, I can use it, and you lose 2000 Life points. If it doesn't, then I have to destroy all Level 4 or above monsters on our field (DTB LP:4000-2000)."

"I predict that one of you has Tannhäuser Gate." 'I have Tannhäuser Gate. Take it- I wouldn't be using it anyway.' "Perfect. I now activate Tannhäuser Gate. Because I have two or more monsters of the same Level on my field, I can add their Levels together" 'I know how it works- it's my card after all.'

"I'll just get to the fun bit then, making both of my monsters Level 8. I now overlay my two Level 8 monsters, to build the overlay network, and summon out Number 113- Jiangshi, Revenant of the Underworld (Atk:2900). I now activate Premature Burial, reviving Master Kyonshee (Def.:0000, DTB LP:2000-1200)."

"Now I'll activate Number 113's ability. By detaching one overlay unit, you take 500 points of damage for every Zombie on my field. There's two, which means you'll lose 1000 Life points. Go- _Undead Surge!" _Number 113 then summoned skulls down from the roof, which rained down on Dad and Maverick, but neither of them reacted (Phil and Maverick LP:4000-3000).

"And because you took 1000 points of damage, my monster gains 1000 Attack points (Atk:2900-3900). Now I'll use it to attack Red Dragon Archfiend. And when Number 113 attacks, your monster loses 600 Attack and Defence points if it isn't an Xyz monster. Go- _Revenant's Shocker"._

Number 113 shot a burst of lightning out of it's hand at Red Dragon Archfiend, weakening it (Atk:3000-2400). Jiangshi then went to drag Red Dragon Archfiend's soul into the underworld, but Dad countered with the greatest of ease. 'The kid gloves are off now Barians. Go- Assault Mode Activate! This requires me to tribute Red Dragon Archfiend. But in it's place is something that will make you go and cry to that little bitch Birchall. I summon out Red Dragon Archfiend/Assault Mode (Atk:3500).'

"I end my turn. You dodged this bullet, but I'll take you out next time." That seemed to fire Dad up, as he took his hoodie off, and then took his shirt off. 'You... will... pay!'

Maverick- 'My turn. Because Serene Psychic Witch is still in the graveyard, her ability resolves, letting me summon out the monster I banished last turn. Meet Mind Protector (Def.:2200). I now activate Snatch Steal. This lets me take control of my master's monster, and he regains 1000 Life points during each Standby phase it's on my field.'

'I'll now release Mind Protector, to summon out something given to me by my master, because we don't have to resort to stealing Birchall. I summon out Skull Archfiend of Lightning (Atk:2500). You will fall to us now, because I activate Rush Recklessly, giving my Overmind Archfiend 700 more Attack points (Atk:3200-3900).'

'Overmind, attack Jiangshi with _Mind Crusher!'_ Overmind Archfiend used it's mind to try and destroy Jiangshi, but the resulting force destroyed it as well. 'Red Dragon Archfiend/Assault Mode, destroy Number 66 with _Absolute Buster Force!' _Red Dragon Archfiend/Assault Mode created a huge fireball in it's claw, and smashed it straight into Number 66, destroying it, and sending Vector crashing down (DTB LP:1200-200).

'Skull Archfiend of Lightning, finish this off. Attack them directly with _Archfiend's Lightning!' _Skull Archfiend then summoned lightning, which rained down from the sky (DTB LP:200-0000).

After the duel, Girag came out to check on Vector and Spica. He then said fatal words. "Hey- is this the power that Hannah left you? She asked for what she got, however much I wouldn't have minded facing her." He then charged in at Dad, who just picked him straight up, before slamming him down with a spinebuster. Dad then threw him into a metal post, and lined up for the same boot that injured Kieran. I stopped him though.

'No Dad- you're not doing this.' 'Why?' 'This is my hunt.' I then came running in with the boot, sending Girag's head colliding with the metal post, and making him slump to the ground. I then picked him back up again, and gave him a roundhouse to the skull, making him fall straight down onto his face.

Maverick then raised her fist, and Serotonin came in, attacking the defenceless Girag like vultures to a fresh carcus. The punishment was finished off by Dad shoving Girag between his legs, before lifting him up vertically, and sitting down, dropping Girag's head on the steel with a spike piledriver. We then posed over him (Maverick and Blair with their titles, as well as me and Dad).

We then went to the toilets to get changed into smart clothes. I changed my top, and put smarter trousers and shoes on. When I came out, I saw that Dad had a suit jacket on. 'Did I prove myself earlier?' 'Yeah- you definitely proved that you were ready to return to duelling, despite my fears.'

'Maddy, I know you only had my best interests at heart when you asked me to prove myself to you.' 'I'm glad you realised that Dad- I did only have your best interests at heart all along. I just worry about you so much- I know that you're volatile on a good day, and I know that you need stability in your life, and you feel like you've no longer got that. Just remember that I'm going nowhere- you need me, and if anything, I need you back even more.' We then went to make our announcement.

Point of View- Blair

Phil and Maddy came out, to no music, and the fans, seeing that this was a very important announcement, said absolutely nothing, respectfully just watching them. They then went to the centre of the duelling zone, and Phil had a quick drink of water, before making the announcement.

'I know this is a very tight schedule, and I thank the organisers of this tournament for giving myself and Maddy the chance to make this announcement here and now, because this is a very important announcement. This is the history of the M18 Connection'

'Now 8 years ago at Gortonia 2006, there was an Egotistical 8 tournament- 8 duellists all looking for a big break. We were to compete in a tag tournament, with the 4 teams to be decided by a random draw. I was drawn with a friend of mine- Hannah Marie Cummings. We'd known each other for a couple of years, and we'd teamed up once or twice on the amateur circuit.'

'We won that tournament, and our reward for that was a guaranteed 2 year tour card. We never looked back after that- by the time that tour card was up, we were safely in the world's top 50.' '2006 World Tag-Team Champions, 2007 World Tag-Team Champions, on top of the world... twice.'

'In 2008, we were named the best team on the planet. I was named the future of duelling. We promised each other then that if one of us became World Champion, the other one would stick by them. We knew that one day, one of us would be the champ. And then, the day came.'

'2008 World Championships- the Final was a duel for the ages- Phil vs. Hannah. It went down to the wire, just as you would expect from two duellists who know each other so well. In the end, Hannah takes the crown. The handshake said it all- this team weren't leaving.'

'The years pass by, but still they teamed up, and still they won. Different paths took them apart from each other in 2011, but they still teamed up on occasion. They reunited under the Renegades banner in 2014, and they returned at the World Championships.'

'Team after team, duellist after duellist, they came and they fell at our feet. And after two very close duels, I got to the final again. And who was waiting there for me but my own tag partner.' 'Before the final though, there was time for a little romance- the tag partners became life partners, as Hannah took Phil's hand in marriage.'

'Final day, and the atmosphere was tense. The battle was long, the battle was fierce. And at the end of it, only one person was left standing. The new World champ was Phil- he'd won the duel 6 years in the making.'

'They continued to team up until the fateful day, adding me as a third member, and breaking new boundaries. And then, the bullet that shook the world- Birchall, angered by his inability to be as good as the M18 Connection, callously shot Hannah dead as an act of desperation.'

'So the question remains- what's next for us? That's what we're addressing- the future. We don't want to, but we have to make ourselves a future. The future is the question on everybody's lips- the M18 Connection. The answer is yes- there is still an M18 Connection. We discussed long and hard, and decided in the end that the M18 Connection will live on as just the two of us.'

Birchall then came out, but Jana kicked him in the back from behind, before hitting a spin kick, knocking Birchall down, and making him retreat. She then walked up to Maddy, and flashed her eyes gold, before kneeling down to Maddy. The 3 of them then saluted the crowd, and left.

Point of View- Maddy

'Good job Jana.' 'I wanted to show my loyalty to you mistress. I figured that the best way to do that was give Birchall a taste of things to come. I want to duel him.' 'Not a chance Jana. You've never duelled before, and Birchall is very dangerous. Leave him to one of the professionals.'

'I'll duel him- he did try and murder me after all.' 'If he accepts, I'll allow it.' 'Thanks Dad.' 'Only if you promise to let me give you extra power from Icaron. It's just so he can't turn it into a Shadow Game.' 'What's a Shadow Game Dad? I've never heard of one.' 'Shadow Games are duels on the very edge of the dimensions. The loser usually gets their soul trapped in the Shadow Realm forever.'

'How can he do that?' 'That I don't know. It will be even more dangerous now that he's got Don Thousand as an ally though.' 'Fine- I accept.' 'I've also had an idea to make him accept.' 'Go on.' 'We offer a sacrifice if he doesn't accept.' 'What kind of sacrifice did you have in mind?'

'Let's just say that it involves Vector. Jana, have you got a lighter or some matches?' 'No, sorry.' 'No worries. I'll just have to steal something then.' He then walked off, just as my phone rang.

'Hello? Hi Danny, what's up? I'm fine, yeah. Well as fine as I can be anyway. Didn't know you watched duelling. Oh, that picture? That was taken last month. Yeah, I do miss her. Anyway, I've got to go, so bye.' Just as I put my phone down, Dad came back, with a lighter.

'Found one.' 'Great. All we need now is a Vector.' 'That can be easily arranged.' Belle and Maverick then came over, with Vector and Spica trapped in a net. 'Barians aren't net proof. Caught them easily.' "Let us out of here." 'I don't think that I will do Vector. Maddy, let's go.' We then went back out there, because Dad's first-round match was due to start.

When we went out there, we hid the net out of sight to everyone else. 'Birchall, come out here now- Maddy wants a duel with you.' Birchall appeared on the big screen. "No- she doesn't get the duel with me. If she wants me, then she can duel Vector instead." 'Yeah, about that.'

I then dragged the net out, with Vector and Spica still struggling inside of it. "Let 'em go." 'Only if you give us what I wanted. Duel me at the next tournament in Marseille, and we let them go.' "No." 'Ok, you forced me.' I then lit the lighter. "What are you doing?" 'You have 10 seconds to give us that duel. Otherwise, they burn.'

"You wouldn't do." 'I would.' I then started moving the lighter closer to me (I had every intention of doing it). "Ok, ok, you get what you want- me vs. you in Marseille." 'Ok, that's the right answer.' I then set fire to the net anyway, and we just retreated to a safe distance. Dad sent Spica a message. 'You see Spica, this is why you don't hack into Rio's mind. We then stood there watching Birchall run down to stop the net from burning.

The French Collection's music then hit, as Rene Dupree came out. "Introducing his opponent, from Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, representing The French Collection, Rene Dupree. Rene came out, looking rather sheepish. Dad had already activated his duel disk, and Rene activated his. I looked on from a safe distance (nowhere near the duelling zone).

Baltic Championships- Riga Round 1: [16] Phil Robinson-Cummings LP:4000 vs. [47] Rene Dupree LP:4000

Turn 1- Rene- "I'll start if that's ok." 'Whatever.' "I draw. Actually, I might just go home y'know, wait for you to calm down." 'If you won't duel, Maddy'll kick your teeth in. And she runs faster than you can.' "Ok, I, uh, play a monster face-down in Defence mode, and, uh, end my turn with 4 face-downs y'know."

Turn 2- Phil- 'Draw. I activate Polymerisation, fusing together Faith Bird and Skull Red Bird, to summon out Crimson Sunbird (Atk:2300). Next, I activate Fusion Recovery. This lets me take Skull Red Bird and Polymerisation from my graveyard, and add them back to my hand.'

'I now activate Polymerisation again. This lets me fuse Cyber Laser Dragon and Thestalos the Mega Monarch to create Blaze Fenix- the Burning Bombardment Bird (Atk:2800).' "Uh, are you done yet?" 'As if. I now activate Fusion Recovery, which lets me return Polymerisation and Thestalos to my hand.'

'I now summon out Phoenix Defender (Def.:2000). I'll tribute my Defender though, to summon out Thestalos- the Mega Monarch (Atk:2800). I'll now activate Thestalos' ability. Because I tribute summoned it, I can take a look at your hand, and then discard any card I like from it. If it's a monster I get rid of, you take damage equal to it's Level x 200.'

"I activate Cost Down, which lowers the Levels of all monsters in my hand by two." 'Too bad that Thestalos' ability uses the original Levels of your monsters. You see, I'm lonely and annoyed, but not stupid. I'll discard Beast of Talwar.' Thestalos created a fireball in it's hand, and threw it at the ground, creating a fire which scorched Rene (Rene LP:4000-2800).

'Not done. Thestalos' second ability activates because I tribute summoned it by tributing a Fire-attribute monster, you take a further 1000 points of damage.' Thestalos then threw a flaming bomb at Rene, reducing his Life points further (Rene LP:2800-1800). "Please may I go now?"

'No. I am the judge, the jury, and now, the executioner. And my verdict is guilty of gross cowardice and stupidity. It's time to execute now- Blaze Fenix, activate your ability. It can't attack this turn now, but you take 300 points of damage.' "So I stay in?" 'No- 300 points of damage... for every single card on the field. _Blaze Blaster_!'

Blaze Fenix shot up into the air, and rained down fire onto Rene, charring his hair (Rene LP:1800-0000).

After the duel, Dad just beat his chest, and flexed his muscles over Rene, as I joined him, and gave him a hug. Some Latvian guy then came over to interview him. 'Phil, excellent win there, but I get the feeling that you were holding back there, despite Rene actually being physically harmed by this duel.'

'I may have been holding back. Maybe there's some scraps that I want to pick up at some other time.' 'What he's trying to say is that the vicious wolf tears at an opponent, and then eats everything at once. The smart wolf tears at an opponent, eats it's fill, and brings some back for it's family, as well as some to have a bit later. He's the smart wolf.'

'Maddy, a question for you. How do you feel about some of Phil's actions recently, since Hannah tragically died.' I then bared my fangs at the interviewer. 'Firstly, you never talk about Mum like that. Secondly, I'm not like other people. I'll stick by him, whatever he does. That's a promise- that's how much I love my Dad. Whatever he does wherever he goes, I'll be there for him, I'll be with him. M18 4 Ever.'

'There's a saying that goes something like "karma's a bitch". It's true as well. Birchall, you want to try and wreck our lives? We can do more than try- we can kill. You've let the animals off of their leashes. You'll regret that for the rest of your wretched life. Which won't be very long with your intelligence. And we're gonna destroy anything in our way.'

Astrid then came out, to new music. 'What do you want? No offence, but we didn't ask for Scandinavia's finest.' 'Well it's very nice that you referred to me as "Scandinavia's finest", but the actual reason I'm out here is because I've just been told that I have a tag match against Powerplay in a couple of weeks time, and I need a tag-team partner for it.'

'So why are you telling us?' 'I was wondering if either of you were willing to team up with me.' 'Astrid, my answer is no. Dad's answer is no. So that means you can go away now.' 'No- I need a tag partner, and' Black Rose Inc. then came out. Akiza just got on one knee to honour me, as did Lukas and Tee, before Akiza took the mic from Astrid.

'Astrid, I know we're not properly introduced yet. I'm Akiza- the leader of Black Rose Inc. And unlike what everyone else seems to think, we **are **dedicated to the cause of the Renegades and Lupine Warriors. We were listening backstage, and I have found a tag partner for you.'

'I'm listening.' 'You can team up with Lukas- he volunteered to team up with you. Take it or leave it.' 'If the offer's there, I'll take it thanks.' 'Glad to hear it. Anything to add Lukas?' 'Don't get in my way. The only reason I volunteered was to set a good example to Tee. Trust me Astrid- you'll learn a lot from me.'

'Cheers Lukas. Now I need to ask Phil and Maddy a question.' 'I'm listening.' 'Do Tee and Lukas have permission to go after the tag titles?' 'That's up to Maddy.' 'We'll discuss it backstage.' We then left.

'So what's your answer?' 'Yes, you can challenge.' 'Thanks. Why didn't you tell me out there?' 'I was undecided out there- I needed somewhere cooler to think.' 'I received an update from another doctor a few minutes ago- Rio's condition has slightly improved. She should be ok for a day at home next week.' 'Sounds great- just make sure you tell Dad.' 'I will do Maddy. I'm sorry I gave you a hard time after you took over.' 'No worries. I'm going to be taking a much harder line in terms of discipline now though- I'm going by my rules. I'll outline them at the meeting on Monday, so if you can't make it, ask Tee or Lukas.'

'Don't blame you quite honestly- some people have got a little bit too big for their boots.' 'Like.' 'Claude- I don't know what's happened the past couple of weeks, but he seems to reckon that the club owe him somehow.' 'I won't have any of that under my temporary rule.' 'Are you sure about it being temporary?' 'Yeah.'

'Why though, if you don't mind me asking?' 'I don't have the confidence to lead us all permanently. And nobody would respect me- they'd all say that I only got it because I'm Phil's daughter. I want to prove that I'm worthy, but people don't give me a chance- they just all decide what I am.'

'The only person who ever managed to convince anybody otherwise was Mum, and she can't help now. In fact you know what, I've had just about enough of having my life fucked around with.' I then stormed out, and Akiza left.

Point of View- Akiza

I had to find Phil, to warn him about Maddy. I found Blair quick enough, but not Phil. 'Blair, where's Phil?' 'Dunno- probably staring at the sky with how he's been lately.' 'Staring at the sky?' 'Yeah- he's completely off of his rocker- he's looking up at the sky to try and see Hannah, and bring her back to him.'

'Ok, I don't think that Phil's our main concern at the moment. No offence, but I don't think he's going to be putting himself in danger.' 'Why- who is?' 'I'm concerned about Maddy. We were chatting a couple of minutes ago, and she said that she wasn't interested in becoming permanent leader of the Renegades because people wouldn't take her as a leader in her own right, because Phil's her Dad.'

'She then said that Hannah was the only person who could make people believe, and that she's had just about enough of people f******ing around with her life. I don't know where she's gone, which is why I need Phil.' 'You need help looking for him?' 'I'll go and find her.' 'Be careful Blair.' 'Trust me- I know what I'm doing. Me and Maddy are real close.' Blair then ran off to find Maddy.

Point of View- Phil

I was just coming back in ahead of my second-round duel when Blair ran headlong straight into me, knocking us both over. 'Sorry Phil.' 'No worries Blair. Where are you running to anyway?' 'It's Maddy- Akiza reckons she's in trouble.' 'What kind of trouble?' Luckily, I'd recorded our conversation, so Phil instantly knew what was going on.

'What do you think Dad?' 'We need to find Maddy quickly. Put it this way- angry wolfblood + lighter = a very scared Birchall.' 'Gotcha. Let's go.' 'How do we find her? Even if Jana was here, Eolas doesn't work indoors.' 'Her sense of smell does though.' Blair then spoke to Jana telepathically. 'Jana, Maddy's in trouble- I need you to find her scent.' 'I can do that.'

Jana came over a couple of minutes later. 'Got her scent?' 'Yeah- this way.' She then pointed right, and the three of us ran that way. We turned left not long after that, and then a couple of minutes later, went right again. 'The scent's overpowering now- she was here very recently.'

Soon afterwards, we found Maddy. She had Birchall on his own, cornered, and she had her hand held out at him. 'Don't come any closer Dad.' 'Why?' She then showed me a gun. 'I got his gun, and I'm not afraid to use it.' 'Maddy, he's not worth your effort.' 'He killed my Mum- I want to take away from the Brave Bones what he took away from us.'

'Maddy, Blair's right. If you really feel the need to shoot him then do, but at least think about it. Do you really want to kill him now, or do you want to torture him? Keeping him alive would help to torture him. Trust me.' 'You make a good point, but I'm not interested.' She then put a bullet in, and took aim at Birchall's penis, before shooting.

"So I'm dead now." 'Please- you're not worth my time even. I fired a fake bullet at you. It's made of rubber. Dad, let's all go.' 'Good idea.' We then left, for my second-round duel. On the way, we bumped into Lukas. 'Hey Lukas, sorry we missed your duel, had some stuff to deal with.' 'No worries man- this Martin guy is no big deal anyway. Took me 3 turns. The draw's set up nicely for me to finally face you in the final mate, so make sure you get there.' 'I'll try.'

'Did you actually intend to shoot Birchall there?' 'No- I wanted to give him a scare. I'm still in a bad mood though- I'm fed up of nobody ever giving me any credit for anything I do. It's always about who my parents are. I mean don't get me wrong- I love my parents, but you don't make my decisions for me- nobody cares though.'

'I'm not even going to argue with you Maddy. I think you're a great leader, but if you don't want to believe me, don't- I know when to not bother arguing. See you later Phil.' Lukas then walked off. 'Sorry Dad.' Maddy then hugged me, crying. 'Calm yourself down Maddy- you getting worked up isn't going to do anyone any good, least of all you.'

Point of View- Blair

Phil came out for his semi-final, with Maddy next to him, still visibly distressed. 'The following is a second-round duel in the Riga Championships. Introducing first, accompanied by Maddy Robinson-Cummings, from the M18 District of Manchester, England, he is The World's Most Dangerous Man- Phil Robinson-Cummings.'

Phil walked straight down, with his hood up. Maddy also had hers up, but we could see her eyes glowing gold. When they got to the duelling zone, Phil kissed Maddy on the top of the head, and reached into her hood, stroking her hair gently, calming her down slightly.

The Barian Alliance music then hit, as the 3 of them came out together, in their human forms. "Introducing his opponent, representing the Barian Alliance, from Twin Falls, Idaho, he is Reginald Kastle.' Nash came down alone, with the other two watching him. When he got to the duelling zone, him and Phil just stared at each other, before activating their duel disks.

Riga Championships Round 2: [15] Phil Robinson-Cummings LP:4000 vs. [89] Nash LP:4000

Turn 1- Phil- 'I draw. I summon Ancient Gear Soldier (Atk:1300). I end my turn with 2 face-down cards.'

Turn 2- Nash- 'I draw. I activate Rank-up Magic the Seventh One. This lets me summon out my Over-Hundered Number from my Extra Deck. I summon out Number 101- Silent Honor Ark (Atk:2100). Next, I'm ranking it up. Go- Chaos Xyz Evolution! I summon out Chaos Number 101- Silent Honor Dark (Atk:2800).'

'I now activate my monster's ability. By detaching one Chaos Overlay Unit, it can turn your monster into a Chaos Overlay Unit. Go- _Chaos Absorption'. _'You really think I'd let you do that? Of course I will- feel free to take my Soldier. I always felt he was ranked too highly anyway.'

Number C101 shot red vines out at Ancient Gear Soldier, turning it into a Chaos Overlay Unit. 'I activate my face-down- Swords of Burning Light. This stops you from attacking as long as I have an empty field- no monsters. They fizzle out the moment I summon a monster though.'

'I'll end my turn with a face-down. Your turn again.'

Phil- 'It's my turn, so get ready. I activate Rank-up Magic Renegades Unite! This lets me summon out an Xyz monster from my Extra deck. I summon out Number 99- Northern Lights Dragon (Atk:3000). Next, I deal you with 200 points of damage for each Rank that Number 99 has. Go- _Renegade Flash!' _A yellow light then emerged from Renegades Unite, and Number 99 released a blast of light to go with it, hitting Nash (Nash LP:4000-3200).'

'Don't forget- I can activate the ability of my monster during your turn.' 'I know- that's why I summoned out Number 99. It's ability stops it from being targeted by an effect which would change ownership of it. That includes it being equipped to your monster.' 'How many abilities does your Dragon have?'

'Quite a lot. I end my turn with a face-down. I now activate my Dragon's ability. Because I didn't declare an attack during my Battle phase, I can increase my Life points by 600. Give me a taste of that _Northern Lights Refresh'. _Number 99 glowed, and the light enveloped Phil, who just spread his arms out (Phil LP:4000-4600).

Nash- 'My draw. I activate Return Rank-up, returning the Seventh One from my graveyard to my hand.' 'Bring it on Nash- I'm not running scared of your Barian numbers. Remember- I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve as well.' 'Chaos Number 101, attack Number 99.' Silent Honor Dark threw it's javelin at Northern Lights Dragon, which shot it out of the air with a gust of wind (Nash LP:3200-3000).

'I now activate it's ability, reviving it because it had a Chaos Overlay Unit. Go- _Return from Oblivion!' _'You really don't want to do that.' Chaos Number 101 then re-appeared, but Nash was caught in some red electricity, dropping him to his knees (Nash LP:3000-200). 'Maddy did warn you. I activated my face-down. It's called Infection Polariser. This negates your Life point gain, and then sends the same amount back at you as damage.'

'I switch Number C101 into Defence mode (Def.:1500), and end my turn with a face-down.'

Phil- 'You're through. I draw. I activate Rank-up Magic Icaron's Force. This lets me rank-up Number 99 into a Chaos Xyz monster. Go- Renegade Xyz Evolution. I summon out Chaos Number 99- Northern Lights Saint Dragon (Atk:3350).' 'I won't take any damage.' 'I know- that's why I'm summoning out Ancient Gear Knight (Atk:1800).'

'My Knight's going to attack now. Open wide.' Ancient Gear Knight drilled into Number C101 with it's drill, but failed to destroy it. 'I activated my face-down. It's called Seven Endurance, and activates when an Over-Hundered Number is attacked. Any battle damage is doubled for the rest of the turn, but it can't be destroyed.'

'Now I know what you're hiding. I activate Fairy Meteor Crush, which allows my monster to deal piercing damage. Saint Dragon, finish this with _Martyr's Stream_.' Saint Dragon soared up into the air, before releasing an angelic looking blast of northern light, ending the duel (Nash LP:200-0000).

After the duel, they stared at each other again, before Phil and Maddy just left, hugging each other again. 'Great win Phil.' 'I did what I had to do. He wasn't as much of a challenge as I expected. I couldn't have done it without your support though, especially you Blair, and you Maddy.'

'You know that I love you Dad. Wherever you go, I go with you.' 'I appreciate it Maddy, I hope you know that.' 'Not half as much as I appreciate having you around Dad.' 'I know Maddy, I know.' 'Sorry about earlier Dad, I just don't feel that I can command respect like you and Mum could.'

'You'll have to try and work on that then. I'm not interfering, it would be unfair on you.' 'Thank you Dad. How do I lead the club though?' 'Be yourself, but don't be too easy going- you need to prove to them that you mean business. Set out your rules and stick by them. Most of all though, be your own leader- don't let anybody hold you to ransom. They need to learn that you are the alpha, and they don't question you.' 'Cheers Dad.'

Lukas then came out, with Akiza and Tee, for his second-round duel. "The following is a second-round match-up. Introducing first, from the Bishop and Clerk Islands, Tasmania, Australia, he is the Tasmanian Devil- Lukas Chipperfield." Lukas came out, with his hood up. He quickly put it down though, and walked straight down to the duelling zone.

Some weird Arabic music then played, as his opponent came out. "And his opponent, representing the Soldiers of Islam and the Brave Bones, from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, he is Joseph Marwan." Marwan came out, with Saeed next to him, and started chanting something in Arabic.

'What's he saying Maddy?' 'I don't know- I don't speak Arabic.' 'Sorry.' 'Don't need to apologise Blair- I speak enough languages.' 'Yeah. How many is it- 10?' '10 yeah. That's just languages I'm fluent in as well, so it doesn't count Gaelic, because I can't speak much of it.' They both activated their duel disks, and began the duel.

Riga Championships second-round: [17] Lukas Chipperfield LP:4000 vs. [67] Joseph Marwan LP:4000

Turn 1- Marwan- "I start. Come to me Noble Knight Artorigus (Atk:1800). I shall end my turn with a face-down card."

Turn 2- Lukas- 'Are you finished? Because I've got a plane to catch later, and I don't wanna miss it. I draw. I summon out Ally of Justice Core Destroyer (Def.:200). Next, I tribute Core Destroyer, to summon out Ally of Justice Omni-Weapon (Atk:2200). Omni-Weapon, attack his Knight.'

Omni-Weapon shot a light out of it's centre laser, bursting straight through Artorigus, and dealing damage (Marwan LP:4000-3600). 'I now activate the ability of Omni-Weapon. Letting me draw a card. If it's a Level 4 or below Dark-attribute monster, it's coming out onto the field.'

'Nice. I summon out Ally of Justice Unlimiter (Atk:600). Due to Omni-Weapon's ability, the monster summoned isn't allowed to attack this turn. That doesn't mean that I'm done though. I now tribute my two monsters, to summon out a bloody nightmare- if you're you. I summon out Ally of Justice Thunder Armour (Atk:2700).'

'I'll end my turn with a face-down. Enjoy your final turn.'

Marwan- "My turn once again. I activate Birthright, letting me revive Noble Knight Artorigus (Atk:1800). I now summon out another Noble Knight Artorigus (Def.:1800). I now overlay my two Level 4 monsters, to build the overlay network. Come to me, Comics Hero King Arthur (Atk:2400)."

'I've heard a lot about this one- it's pretty strong. Then again, so am I.' "I now activate Rank-up Magic Barian's Force. This lets me rank-up King Arthur. Go- Chaos Xyz Evolution. I summon out CXyz Comics Hero Legend Arthur (Atk:3000)." 'Please- it's useless. Legend Arthur, raise your sword, and slam it down onto Thunder Armour with a _Shockwave Slash!' _

Legend Arthur raised it's sword, and stabbed Thunder Armour with it, destroying it (Lukas LP:4000-3800). "I now activate the ability of Legend Arthur. By detaching an overlay unit, it can banish the monster I just destroyed, and then you take damage equal to it's original Attack points."

Legend Arthur then aimed a punch at Lukas. 'I activate Rainbow Life, negating your damage, and recovering my Life points in response to that (Lukas LP:3800-6600). "I end my turn."

Lukas- 'Draw.' The mark of the rose then appeared on his forehead. 'I'll activate my face-down- DNA Transplant. This lets me change the Attribute of all monsters on the field to whichever attribute I like. I choose Light-attribute.' "Changes nothing." 'You want a bet on that? Because I think that I'd probably win.'

'I activate Card of Sanctity, letting us both draw until we have 6 cards in our hands. I now summon out Ally of Justice Unlimiter (Atk:600). I now activate Premature Burial, letting me revive a monster resting in my graveyard for the small cost of 800 Life points. Come back to me Ally of Justice Thunder Armour (Atk:2800, Lukas LP:6600-5800).'

'I now activate Level Tuning. This reduces the levels of the monsters on my field by one (Thunder Armour Level:8-7, Unlimiter Level:2-1). I now activate Double Summon, enabling me to welcome the Tuner monster Road Synchron (Atk:1600). When Road Synchron is used to Synchro summon a monster whose name is not Road Warrior, it has it's Level reduced by two (Level:4-2). I'll now use my Level 2 Road Synchron to give my Level 7 Ally of Justice Thunder Armour and Level 1 Ally of Justice Unlimiter.'

Static electricity then surrounded Lukas. "What is this? Who are you?" 'I'm just trying out the new powers that Akiza gave me and Tee- she likes us you see. We're Black Rose Inc., and we are at the command of the Renegades. We are their assassins, and we serve them loyally. I summon out Ally of Justice Decisive Armour (Atk:3300).'

"That's... big to use an English word. But Allah will help me overcome it." 'Allah won't save you now. I activate Decisive Armour's ability. By ditching my entire hand, I can discard your entire hand, and then you take damage equal to the combined Attack points of all the Light-attribute monsters in your hand.'

Decisive Armour shot at the cards in Marwan's hand. 'Ooh- 4 monsters. Let's see- you're going to take 6500 points of damage there. Decisive Armour, take aim and fire at will. My will that is.' Decisive Armour shot 4 lasers out of it's cannons, blasting through the 4 monsters in Marwan's hand, and knocking him out, stone cold (Marwan LP:3600-0000).

After the duel, Astrid came out again. 'Astrid, have you not had enough of interfering yet?' She said nothing back to Phil, but walked over to Marwan, and chokeslammed him. He then walked over to Maddy, and handed her a piece of paper. 'This is my official application to join the Renegades.' 'I'll consider it.'

Astrid then grabbed a mic. 'Vector, I am officially challenging you and Birchall to be my opponents in a tag match in 3 weeks time. And I want my tag partner there to be someone really special.' I then interrupted her. 'Astrid, you want a tag partner? Consider it done- the amateur dream team. If of course I have permission from Maddy and Phil.'

'It's Maddy you need permission from- not me.' 'Sure. And after that duel, then I'll have an answer to Astrid.' 'That's settled then. What do you say Astrid?' 'I'm shocked that you even wanna team up with me Blair, after what Dragan did to Hannah.' 'I don't hold you personally responsible for what your big brother did. Is it a yes or a no?' 'Yes.'

Astrid then left, as medics were checking on Marwan. Lukas came back up meanwhile. 'Lukas, me and you have to team up sometime.' 'Agreed- your Cyber deck is perfectly matched for my deck. The Cyber deck is excellent at swarming, and my deck has some very heavy hitters in it.' 'And also, you can get a lot of monsters into the graveyard with your Synchro summoning, making Overload Fusion a great idea.' 'Yeah mate.'

I then rung up Jodi, who was at the hospital. 'Hi Jodi, how did it go?' 'The doctors reckon that I'll regain full vision in one of my eyes. So not bad tah.' 'Great. How's Rio?' 'She's had another attack of that paranoia. It only lasted a minute or two though, and she's fine now.' 'Is she awake?' 'Yeah- she's on the toilet. She's still not regaining much colour in her face though- she's as white as a sheet still. I'm worried about her- something's still not right.'

'How did you work that out Jodi? Could it be the fact that she's still in hospital two weeks on?' 'Very funny Maddy. I'm being serious though. I know she's still upset about Hannah, but she's not smiled once.' 'We'll be back soon.' 'Sorry. Has Phil actually duelled over there?' 'Yeah- he's facing Mizar in the last 4. He seems to have found himself a friendly rival though- Lukas.'

'Nice.' 'They've challenged each other to get to the final. In the second-round, Dad won by 4600 Life points against Nash.' 'Impressive- like him or not, Nash is good.' 'Yeah, no kidding. Then Lukas stepped up, and beat Marwan by 5800 Life points.' 'Who's Lukas up against next?' 'Kalin Kessler.' 'Thought he was injured.' 'Minor ligament damage apparently.'

'So what are you doing at the moment?' 'Waiting for Dad's semi-final.' 'He managed to keep his cool?' 'Yeah- he has. In truth, I'm the one who's not coping. See ya.' 'Uh, bye. Feel free to speak to me at anytime.' 'Cheers Jodi.'

When I came off of the phone, I just hugged Dad. Mizar then came out, to the Barian Alliance music. "The following is a semi-final match-up. Introducing first, representing the Barian Alliance, from Barian World, he is Mizar.' Mizar came straight down, in his human form. When he got to the duelling zone, he didn't battlemorph, instead awaiting Dad's entrance.

Dad's music then hit, and once again, we came out together. 'And his opponent, representing the Renegades, from the M18 District of Manchester, England, he is The World's Most Dangerous Man- Phil Robinson-Cummings.' Dad came out, and we walked straight down. When we got to the duelling zone, he activated his duel disk, and so did Mizar.

Riga Championships Semi-Final: [15] Phil Robinson-Cummings LP:4000 vs. [94] Mizar LP:4000

Turn 1- Phil- 'I'll start. I draw. I summon out Inferno (Atk:1100). Next, I activate Double Summon, letting me summon out another Inferno (Atk:1100). I now release both of them, to summon out something you can take seriously. Meet Volcanic Doomfire (Atk:3000). I end my turn with a face-down.'

Turn 2- Mizar- 'I draw. I summon out Heliosphere Dragon (Def.:1900). Heliosphere has an ability that you might want to know about by the way.' 'I'm listening.' 'When it's the only monster on my field, and your hand has 4 cards or less in it, you're not allowed to declare an attack. I end my turn with 3 face-downs.'

Phil- 'I draw. I activate Pot of Greed, letting me draw 2 cards. I now summon out Molten Zombie (Atk:1600). Next, I activate Monster Reborn, reviving Inferno (Def.:1900). I now release both of my monsters, to summon out Infernal Flame Emperor (Atk:2700). I now activate it's ability. Because it was tribute summoned, I can banish up to 5 Fire-attribute monsters from my graveyard, and destroy a spell or trap for every one banished. I banish all 3, to fry those face-down cards.'

Infernal Flame Emperor held all 3 banished monsters, before it turned them into flames, throwing them at Mizar's face-downs, destroying them. 'One of my face-downs was the trap Baria Rage. During the End Phase of the turn in which it goes to the graveyard from my field, I can summon out any monster I like from my deck, but it's stripped of all of it's Attack and Defence points.'

'Fine by me. I'll play it safe, and just end my turn there.' 'There was nothing else you could do. I now summon out Radius, the Half Moon Dragon (Atk:0000).' 'If only you knew.'

Mizar- 'I draw. I activate Card of Sanctity, allowing us to draw until we have 6 cards in our hands. Next, I activate Exchange. It's a simple card that allows us to look at each other's hands, and then take a card from their hand to add to ours.' They then walked over to each other, and showed their cards.

'Hmm- decisions, decisions, decisions. I'll take Tannhäuser Gate if you don't mind.' 'It's irrelevant whether or not I mind. I'm going to take Overlay Hunt.' They then took the cards, and returned to their respective sides. 'I now activate Tannhäuser Gate, which makes both of my monsters Level 8, because both of them are Level 4 at the moment.'

'I now overlay my two Level 8 monsters, to build the overlay network. O mighty dragon, hear my cry- join my side in this fight. I summon out Number 107- Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon (Atk:3000). Galaxy-Eyes, attack Infernal Flame Emperor with _Tachyon Spiral of Destruction'. _

'Sorry Mizar, but Number 107's attack is being redirected. You see, the ability of Volcanic Doomfire forces all of your monsters in Attack mode to attack it during the Battle Phase, no questions asked. Doomfire, intercept.' Tachyon Dragon unleashed a blast of fire, which was met by Doomfire, causing a fiery explosion, knocking both of them back.

'That power- I've never experienced that before.' 'That was something else- this guy's not messing around. Maddy, I'd advise you to get back a bit- that last blast got a little bit too close to you for comfort.' 'Understood Dad.' 'You really care about her, don't you?' 'Do you understand the meaning of having a daughter? It means that you have to set a good example.'

'I'll set an example now- by activating Xyz Reborn. This revives Tachyon Dragon, and Xyz Reborn becomes an overlay unit. Be revived my mighty dragon (Atk:3000). And it's still the Battle Phase, so how about Tachyon Dragon does some sweeping up. Destroy Infernal Flame Emperor with _Tachyon Spiral of Destruction!' _

Number 107 shot more fire out, and this time it overpowered Flame Emperor, destroying it, and dealing damage (Phil LP:4000-3700). 'I'll play a monster face-down, and that's the end of my turn.'

Phil- 'I draw. I activate Rank-up Magic Renegades Unite!' 'That card- it's your equivalent of The Seventh One.' 'It's slightly different. The Seventh One can rank-up your monster from the graveyard. Renegades Unite allows you the choice of whether to rank-up or deal damage. I've got a new card I wanted to try out, and this is the easiest way of doing it. I summon Number 95- Galaxy-Eyes Dark Matter Dragon (Atk:4000).'

'It's one of the dragons of legend.' 'I now deal you with 200 points of damage for every Rank Number 95 has. It has 9, so say goodbye to nearly half of your Life points.' Renegades Unite then fired a black beam of energy at Mizar, knocking him down (Mizar LP:4000-2200).

'I now activate Number 95's ability. When it's summoned, I can banish 3 Dragons from my deck, and make you banish 3 monsters from your deck. I'll dispatch of my Soul Drain Dragon, Solar Flare Dragon, and Flame Armour Dragon.' 'I'll banish my own Soul Drain Dragon, as well as Cave Dragon and The Dragon Dwelling in the Deep.'

'Good- now we've got that sorted out, I can activate the other ability of Number 95. By detaching an overlay unit, it's allowed to attack twice during each Battle Phase this turn. Attack Number 107 with _Dark Matter Stream of Destruction!' _'I'll activate the ability of Tachyon Dragon, detaching an overlay unit to negate the effects of all other face-up monsters on the field, and gain 1000 Attack points. This would leave our monsters level.'

Tachyon Dragon then retreated into itself, and spun, creating a bizarre time stream, and it then emerged, 1000 points stronger (Number 107 Atk:3000-4000). Are you going to continue your attack?' 'Of course I am. I'm going to smash up your dragon!' Dark Matter Dragon and Tachyon Dragon then met in the centre of the duelling zone, and their collision created a massive explosion, and the mixture of the Barian and Icaron powers clashed, and both Dad and Mizar were sent flying off of the duelling zone, and into the walls.

I ran over to Dad to check on him, while Dumon ran over to check on Mizar. 'Dad, wake up.' He was out cold though. 'Mizar, speak to us.' He was out cold as well. Me and Dumon then met in the centre of the duelling zone. 'Mizar's out completely.' 'So's Dad.' 'What do we do?' 'Give them 3 minutes. If they're both still out then, declare it a no-contest.' 'Fine by me.'

3 minutes passed, and neither of them were moving. Just as the announcer put his mouth to the mic to declare it a no-contest, Mizar slowly got up, followed by Dad. 'This isn't over yet.' 'I'm not stopping until Mizar is beaten. Let's continue this.' Dad then put his hood back up, and they continued the duel.

Riga Championships Semi-Final: Mizar LP:2200 vs. Phil Robinson-Cummings LP:4000

Phil- 'Now where were we?' 'I was just about to end my turn with that explosive attack.'

Mizar- 'I draw. I activate Return Rank-up, to return The Seventh One.' He then started glowing. 'Barian Battlemorph!' He then battlemorphed, while Dad looked on. 'I now activate Rank-up Magic The Seventh One! This lets me revive out Number 107- Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon (Atk:3000). Next, I'm ranking it up. Go- Chaos Xyz Evolution! Barian's power, born of chaos, give new power to my dragon as you evolve it. I summon out Chaos Number 107. Tremble in fear of Chaos Number 107- Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon (Atk:4500).'

'Neo Galaxy-Eyes, finish this, by attacking him directly. Go- _Ultimate Tachyon Spiral of Destruction!' _Neo Galaxy-Eyes shot fire out of it's 3 heads, blowing Dad's hood off, and sending him flying back onto the ground (Phil LP:4000-1800). 'I activated the ability of Phoenix Gardna.'

'I could have just used the ability of Tachyon Dragon.' 'Phoenix Gardna's ability activated in my hand, which evaded the ability of Tachyon Dragon, even if you had decided to use it. It's ability allowed me to summon it out, because I had no monsters on my field, and the attack would have dealt over 2000 points of damage (Atk:2300).' 'Fine- I end my turn.'

Phil- 'I draw. I'll switch Phoenix Gardna to Defence mode, and end my turn with a face-down (Gardna Def.:3000).'

Mizar- 'I draw. I activate the ability of Number C107. By detaching 1 chaos overlay unit, I can not only negate the effects of all face-up cards apart from itself, but also stops all other effects on the field from activating this turn. Go- _Time Tyrant!' _Neo Galaxy-Eyes created a weird time stream, in which time was being rewound and altered.

'Now Number C107, attack Phoenix Gardna with _Ultimate Tachyon Stream of Destruction!' _Neo Galaxy-Eyes unleashed more fire, frying Phoenix Gardna. 'I end my turn.'

Phil- 'I draw. I have no move to make, other than end my turn.'

Mizar- 'I draw. It's a pity that you ran out of moves, but this is it. Number C107, finish this off with_ Ultimate Tachyon Spiral of Destruction!' _Tachyon Dragon then unleashed a massive blast of fire from all 3 of it's heads, blasting Dad back into the wall (Phil LP:1800-1).

'How on earth did you survive again?' 'I activated my face-down. It's called Evil 1, and it meant that however much damage I take this turn, I retain 1 Life point.' 'Impressive. I end my turn.'

Phil- 'M18 Miracle Draw! I activate Infinity Purge, allowing me to special summon two Level 8 monsters from my deck with their abilities negated, because my field is completely empty. I summon out Bonfire Colossus and Dark Tuner Chaos Rogue (BC Atk:2700, CR Atk:0000).'

'I now activate Level Tuning, reducing the Levels of my monsters by one (Level:8-7)x2. I now overlay my two Level 7 monsters to build the overlay network.' His eyes the went darker, and I put my power into him. 'You're not doing this alone Dad.' 'Cheers Mads. Get ready Mizar, because I summon out Number 77- The Seven Sins (Atk:4000).'

'I now activate the ability of Number 77. By detaching an overlay unit, it can banish one of your monsters, and then you take damage equal to it's Attack points. Go- _Nightmare Devastator'. _Number 77 vanished, before re-appearing behind Number C107, destroying it, and then surging into Mizar, knocking him down (Mizar LP:2200-0000).

After the duel, Dad just raised his fist, before he left, with me in front of him. When we got backstage, Belle was waiting for us. 'If you don't mind me saying, I think you should recruit Astrid now.' 'Why?' 'She is weak-willed, and could easily be swayed by Don Thousand. He could easily turn her into a Barian.'

That made me think. 'You're right Belle.' I then went back out. 'Astrid, I need to speak to you.' Astrid then came out again. 'This is becoming a theme.' 'Seriously Astrid. I have made a decision.' 'Already?' 'Yeah. Next tournament, in Malmo, Sweden, you against Martyr, or as you know her, Jazmine. If you win, you get Jazmine back, and you can join us. Lose, and you don't get her back, and it's up to me whether you can join or not. Understand?' 'Understood Maddy. I accept.'

Martyr then came out (she'd been brought over by Jana, and took her mask off. Her and Astrid then met in the centre of the duelling zone. 'Jazmine, do you not remember me?' 'I am Martyr, and you will join us by force.' 'You don't remember me then.' We then decided to play games with her, by letting Jazmine return to normal for a minute or two.

'Astrid, help.' 'Jazmine.' 'They... they kidnapped me, and held me prisoner. They brainwashed me, removed my mind, and plugged me into some machine. They gave me some make-up, and re-wrote my memories and mind so all I remembered was being Martyr of Serotonin, a mindless warrior. Help me please.'

She then returned to her Serotonin state. 'Jazmine, I will save you.' 'I am beyond saving. You are the one who needs saving... saving from Don Thousand.' 'Maddy, what does she mean?' 'They want to turn you into a Barian like they did with Shannon. We know how strong you are, and that you would be stronger still as a Barian. Just watch this.'

We then showed Astrid a video we'd just found of Shannon becoming Spica. It started with Birchall first injecting her with a neuro-needle. "Shannon, you will obey me." "Obey Birchall." "You will be taken to a top secret lair, where you will work for me." "Work for Birchall."

It then transferred to 2 months later, in a secluded warehouse, with Don Thousand, Birchall, and Shannon. Don Thousand grabbed Shannon. "You will become the Barian Spica. Your old life as a human is over." "I will become Spica. Must become Barian." "Good. Now let's make you a Barian."

Birchall then took her glasses off, before he put her in a coffin, where she was stripped of any mind as a human, as well as her soul. She was then exposed to a Baria crystal until her body started to mutate. She was then trapped in a coffin with Don Thousand's energy for several days.

When she was uncovered, her body was still mutating. So Birchall moved her to a clear container, where she finally became Spica the Barian. Once that had happened, she was brought out, and infected with Don Thousand's power once again. "Master Birchall, what do you need me to do?" "Pretend to have escaped from me, to lure Maddy here. Then we'll turn her into a Barian as well."

The video then went off. 'What do you think of that then Astrid?' 'I'm not going through that- I look far too good as a human. Seriously- I want to join you. Even if it means moving over to Britain, being brainwashed, hell- even if I have to become a slave, I'll do it.' 'My offer stands Astrid- nobody gets a free pass under my rule. You earn your place, or you're out.' ' Fine- see you next week.' Astrid then left, letting me get back to... well not a lot really.

'You ok after that Dad?' 'He's having an injection of painkillers in his back. He requested it.' 'Cheers Akiza.' 'No worries Phil- you needed some medical attention. Now my advice is to have an ice pack on it until the final- it'll reduce the swelling.' 'How badly injured is he?' 'His back is black and blue- he took a real beating in that duel.'

'That was one of the best duels I have ever had. It's the first time since Hannah died that I've been glad to be alive. Apart from when you accepted your destiny Maddy.' 'I won't let you down. It's about time Segolia listened to the pain chronicle. Wherever you go Dad, I'll be by your side. Apart from when you go to the toilet obviously. And probably when you're asleep.'

'Why are you so loyal to me Maddy? All I've done wrong.' 'Because I need you. The day you recruited me was the best day of my life. The day I became your adoptive daughter officially was the new best day of my life. You are my family, and that is all that there is to it.'

'The point that I'm making Dad is that I know you have your faults. But you wouldn't be the Dad that I love without those faults. I just want us to try and rebuild our lives, however hard it is. Anyway, Lukas' semi is up next.' 'You going to watch it?' 'Nah- I'm tired. Besides, I think you could do with some company.'

Blair then came in. 'Hey, how's your back?' 'Swollen. I've got an ice pack on it though, so I should be fighting fit for the final.' 'Blair, could you do us a favour?' 'Sure.' 'Keep an eye on the other Semi-Final for us.' 'Sure. Anything else?' 'No thanks.' 'See you later master, see you later mistress.'

'You're obeying me?' 'Yeah- I am at your service. Anything you need, I'm there to serve you.' 'Thanks Blair. Just keep an eye on the duel, and then report back to us on both of them, no matter what the result is- Kalin will be a problem sooner or later.' 'Understood. My mission is clear.' Blair then left.

'Have you been interfering again?' 'No. Maybe. Ok, yes.' 'What did you do?' 'I adjusted her trance.' 'What do you mean by adjusted?' 'Refreshed.' 'When?' 'While you were getting dressed this morning.' 'Nice one. Who do you think will win the other semi?' 'Lukas- Kalin's a good duellist with a decent deck. It has a fatal flaw though- it lacks versatility.'

'Yeah. Lukas is the better duellist in my opinion. And Kalin's just a whingebag.' 'He's already got a duel set up against Birchall in Malmo.' 'He has a death wish.' 'He seems to think that we're still mates. We've never been mates.' 'Yeah, I guessed that.' N then appeared again, in front of us.

'What is it this time?' 'Nice to see you as well Ms. Smith.' 'My surname is Robinson-Cummings, not Smith.' 'My job here, today, is to give you a warning direct from Icaron- he has broken his silence.' 'Firstly, in my dream- was Hannah sent by Icaron?' 'I have no idea what you're on about.'

'Hannah appeared to me in my dream. She told me that she was now Icaron's agent, like you, and that I need to live my life.' 'You are mistaken- Hannah is not an agent. More to the point, I don't know where Hannah is.' 'Heaven?' 'No- she vanished 4 days ago. I asked Icaron, and he said that she was "safe and well".'

'Jesus- you can't even keep track of somebody who's dead.' 'Keeping track of Hannah is not in my job description. My job is to keep you informed on what you need to know. I can tell you this though- Icaron sent out a warning. It read "Darkness is revived, darkness is risen, darkness will come again". I do not know what he meant by that. All I know is this- the legend says that at the feast of fools, hell will once again freeze over.' N then vanished, leaving us very confused.

Just as that happened, Blair came back. 'Hey guys, here are my notes. Lukas won by 2900 Life points. He won with a combo of DNA Transplant and Ally of Justice Catastor. Kalin was never in it- he was never in the lead.' 'Cheers Blair.' 'What's up?' We then explained what had happened.

'I don't understand- you were positive about seeing her in your dream.' 'Yeah- 100%. She was definitely there, speaking to me. I promise you- I was not mistaken, even if I had had a skin-full the night before.' 'We're not doubting you Dad- we're just trying to make sense of it.' 'Something's going on, that's for certain. And I do not like it one little bit.'

'What do you mean?' 'Think about it- Blair being possessed. Icaron's communication lines being blocked, and now this. There's gotta be a link somewhere, and I suspect that it has something to do with Nash.' 'Nash? How did you get there?' 'Nash is supposed to be the most powerful Barian. He wants to make a statement to Vector. Maybe his statement is fooling the Renegades, by doing the stuff Vector would do.'

'How do we uncover it?' 'I have a good relationship with Dumon- I'll talk to him about it.' 'Good idea. Where is Dumon?' Just as Blair asked that, Dumon came in, with Nash and Mizar. 'Phil, just the person I wanted. I wanted to congratulate you on beating me- you fought well.' 'Yeah, you too. Dumon, could I speak to you privately?' 'Sure, although I don't know why exactly.'

We then went outside to talk. 'Dumon, how much power does Nash have compared to Vector now?' 'Nash still has more power, because Don Thousand hasn't given Vector any new power.' 'Could Nash possess Blair, block Icaron's communication lines, and make Hannah vanish from heaven?'

'The first two, yes. The last one I didn't know was possible. Why?' 'Would Nash get at Vector by fooling us?' 'No, but he does hold a grudge against you for what happened to Rio- he's annoyed because she was supposed to be hosting peace talks with him in Barian world.' 'First I've heard about this- she was at the base to pick up a friend, and go shopping for the day.'

Dumon then did something surprising. 'Nash, come here- it's urgent.' When Nash came, Dumon immediety started questioning him. 'Nash, why can you not make an effort to get on with the man who saved your sister's life?' 'Who's that?' 'Phil obviously.' 'He put her in danger in the first place.'

'He didn't stop Rio turning up to Barian world.' 'How do you know that?' 'I know who did.' 'Go on.' 'Mizar did. He grew fed up of your obsession with bringing her to us, because it was putting her in more danger. She'd been giving him some of her Barian powers to prove that we are one still. If anyone's to blame, it's you Nash.'

'I think that I'll go back to my treatment table and let you two play Family Fortunes.' Just as he left, Dumon left a chilling message for Nash. 'You need to decide who the enemy is- Don Thousand or the Renegades. We all know who's the bigger danger.'

About 20 minutes later, it was time for the final. 'You ready Dad?' 'As I'll ever be. How's the swelling?' 'It's reduced a lot.' 'Good. You two coming?' 'Yeah- sure.'

Point of View- Jana

The following is the final of the Riga Championships. The winner will receive 10 points towards the Baltic Championships table.' Lukas came out first, with Isabella doing intros for both teams. 'Introducing first, accompanied by Black Rose Inc., from the Bishop and Clerk Islands, Tasmania, Australia, Lukas Chipperfield.'

Lukas came out, with Akiza giving him some last minute advice. He just walked straight down to the duelling zone, and when he got there, he put down his bag, and got his deck out, before having a look through it, and adding a couple of cards. He then waited for Phil, who wasn't in the best shape according to Maddy.

Phil's music then hit, and he came out, not looking in great shape, with Blair and Maddy flanking him. He didn't wait for an intro, but instead walked straight down, and activated his duel disk.

Riga Championships Final: [17] Lukas Chipperfield LP:4000 vs. [15] Phil Robinson-Cummings LP:4000

Turn 1- Lukas- 'I'm starting. I draw. Let's kick things off with Vehicroid Connection Zone. This lets me fuse together Drilloid, Cycroid, Steamroid, Submarineroid, and Shuttleroid, to create the mightiest of all Vehicroids. Phil, face down to Barbaroid the Ultimate Battle Machine (Atk:4000). I end my turn.'

Turn 2- Phil- 'Draw. You want something special? I activate Polymerisation, fusing together my three Cyber Dragons to create Cyber End Dragon (Atk:4000). I end my turn with 2 face-downs.'

Lukas- 'Why didn't you attack?' 'Why don't you attack?' 'I will do... after I activate the field spell Gaia's Power.' A massive tree then appeared in the centre of the arena. 'The effect of Gaia's Power gives my monster 500 more Attack points, but lowers it's Defence by 400, because it's an Earth-attribute monster.'

'Now Barbaroid, attack Cyber End Dragon.' 'I activate Half Unbreak. This halves the damage I take from the attack, and protects my Dragon.' Barbaroid came steaming in, but a pink bubble protected Cyber End Dragon (Phil LP:4000-3750). 'By the way, Barbaroid's allowed to launch 2 attacks in each Battle phase.'

Barbaroid came steaming back in, creating sparks (Phil LP:3750-3500). 'I'll now activate Double or Nothing. This doubles the Attack of my monster, because it didn't destroy your monster this turn (Atk:4500-9000). Now attack one last time!' Barbaroid came steaming in again, and Phil dropped to one knee because of the impact (Phil LP:3500-1000).

'I'll end my turn with that (Atk:9000-4500).'

Phil- 'I draw. I activate Card of Demise. I can now draw until my hand contains 5 cards, but I discard my entire hand in 5 turns. I now activate Ookazi, dealing you with 800 points of damage.' Ookazi fired a small flame at Lukas, but he just smiled (Lukas LP:4000-3200).'

'Who said I'm done? I now activate Shield and Sword, and I know for a fact that you know what it does Lukas (Barbaroid Atk:4500-3600, CED Atk:4000-4000). Now it's time to attack you with Cyber End Dragon. Hit 'em with your _Super Strident Blaze!' _Cyber End Dragon fired fire from all of it's heads, melting the circuits of Barbaroid (Lukas LP:3200-2800).

'I'll end my turn with a face-down card.'

Lukas- 'I draw. I activate Synchro Shock. This lets me banish a monster in my graveyard, and then summon out two Synchro monsters whose Levels equal the banished monster's. I banish Level 12 Barbaroid, to summon out Ally of Justice Catastor and Power Tool Mecha Dragon (AOFC Atk:2300, PTMD Atk:2300).'

'Now Catastor, take care of Cyber End Dragon.' 'It doesn't have enough attack points.' 'When Catastor battles a non-Dark-attribute monster, the opposing monster is destroyed automatically, without damage calculation.' Catastor then fired dark bolts at Cyber End Dragon, making it explode.

'And with that, time for the finale. Mecha Dragon, finish him off.' Power Tool Mecha Dragon hit Phil with it's drill, ending the duel (Phil LP:1000-0000). After the duel, Lukas gave Phil a hand up, before celebrating with Tee and Akiza, while Blair and Maddy checked on Phil, who still looked in considerable pain after his bruising semi-final against Mizar. Then it was time for the interviews.

"Well, that was a very entertaining final. First of all, the beaten finalist, receiving 8 points in the Baltic Championships, Phil Robinson-Cummings. Phil, how can you react to such a comprehensive defeat in the final?' Maddy replied for him. 'He had nothing left after the duel against Mizar. Take nothing away from Lukas though- he deserved that win. Dad, you did well.' 'Cheers Mads.'

'You know, it has been difficult for us. But nobody actually cares. As long as they get their little bit of entertainment, as long as they see everybody duelling their hearts out just so they can have a nice time, they don't care what happens. So what that his wife and her Mum got murdered? All we care about is watching them fight to the death, so we can go and tweet about it, or post a picture on facebook. It's just not on. We're not doing it for you, we're doing it for the ones who we love that are no longer here. And thanks for asking, Rio's still in hospital.'

"With all due respect, this is about the tournament, not your personal life." Maddy then decked the interviewer out of frustration, before another one came down. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Phil Robinson-Cummings!" The fans had no reaction to that.

"Lukas, great win there, you now lead the standings." 'This is not about me. I want to dedicate this win to Hannah and Rio. Rio, I know you're in hospital, get well soon my rival, heaven can do without you for a while longer at least. Believe it.' "Ladies and Gentlemen, your winner- Lukas Chipperfield." Akiza then decked the other announcer. "Eat that."

**How will Nash react to Dumon's words? Will Phil recover from his back injury ahead of the next tournament? And what will happen when Phil, Maddy and Blair lose control a bit more? To find out, read Renegades: A New Dawn Chapter 4- Mad****dy the ****Dark Wol****f!**


	4. Evolution

Renegades: A New Dawn

Chapter 4- Evolution: Maddy the Dark Wolf

Point of View- Blair

'What was that about Akiza?' 'They disrespected the club, and disrespected you all. Why didn't you knock the first one out?' 'My bestie got there first. You really are awesome Maddy.' 'Thanks Blair. You competing in Malmo?' 'Yeah. You?' 'No, unless Vector accepts my challenge.'

'Why did you challenge him?' 'I want Number 96. Especially after he stole Number 43 and Chaos Number 43 back from us.' 'When did he do that?' 'Dunno- it was missing when I looked in my pocket earlier. I presume it was him- he's sneaky enough.' 'Are you competing in Sweden Dad?'

'Yeah, if you're willing to team up with me in the actual tournament.' 'It's a double-header, is it?' 'Yeah.' 'I'd love to team up with you. Especially if I get Dark Mist and Dark Storm.' 'What was with the Alliance earlier?' 'Dumon's annoyed that Nash blocked Icaron's power lines as revenge on us for Rio not choosing him.'

'You headed straight to the hospital?' 'Yeah- Jodi's concerned about Rio's condition. I didn't say anything because... well I don't know why I didn't say anything.' 'No worries Maddy. You're our leader now- in you we trust.' 'Thanks guys. I'll do whatever I can to make the Renegades **the **force of the world.'

'That's the spirit.' 'Maddy, please can I have a meeting with you tomorrow.' 'Just this once Jana- after today, you do it through Jodi.' 'Understood- thank you.' 'That goes for everyone unless it's Dad or an absolute emergency.' 'Cheers Maddy.' 'No worries. I'm treating this as an audition for the permanent role should Dad not return for a significant amount of time.'

When we got to the hospital, Jodi was waiting for us. 'Hi Jodi.' 'Hi- sorry about what I said earlier, but I'm really concerned. A home visit might do her some good.' 'I don't think it's a good idea- she's safe in the hospital, where she can't self-harm.' 'Self-harm?' 'Yeah- she's in a very unstable mental state.'

We then went into the ward, and Rio was sat up. 'You ok?' 'Yeah- fine. Just going to the toilet. Did you win master?' 'No- sorry. Lukas whupped my ass in the final. 2800 Life points the difference.' 'He was injured in his semi-final. Him and Mizar went to the very limit- Dad won by a single Life point.'

'Wow- that was close. Could you lend me your shoulder Maddy, just to steady myself.' 'Sure Rio- I'm glad you're getting better.' Rio then struggled up to her feet, and as she was walking to the toilet, Maddy's whole mood suddenly darkened. 'What's up Mads?' She said nothing, but took a photo.

'What are you doing?' She then showed me the photo, and a couple of other photos. 'I didn't show you because she promised me it would stop.' The first photo was of a small scar on Rio's leg. The second one was bigger, and the third one bigger still. The final one (the one taken today) was of 2 separate, trench-like cuts on Rio's leg, possibly caused by a compass.

'She's self-harming. That's why I said that she's not ready for a home visit.' 'Maybe it would help?' 'I'm not convinced, but it's Dad's call.' 'Please Phil, I don't ask for much from you, but let her have a home visit, just for a few hours. I promise you won't regret it, and I'll keep an eye on her.'

Rio then came back into the room, and Maddy just ran up to her, and hugged her. 'Why Rio, why are you doing this to us, but more importantly, why on earth are you doing his to yourself.' 'What are you talking about?' 'Maddy, they've all seen the photos- why are you still self-harming?'

She then screamed at the top of her voice. 'BECAUSE IT'S MY FAULT THAT SHE'S DEAD! HANNAH'S DEAD, AND EVERYTHING'S ALL MY FAULT! I KNOW IT'S ALL MY FAULT, YOU DON'T NEED TO KEEP TELLING ME THAT IT IS- I KNOW THAT IT IS!' She then collapsed onto the ground, and started sobbing uncontrollably.

'Rio, it's not your fault. You did nothing wrong.' 'Stop telling me that it's all my fault. You can have my Barian powers Don Thousand, just end my pain.' Maddy then accessed some amazing powers, making the very atmosphere vibrate, and making Rio scream. 'What are you doing?' 'I'm causing radio-wave disruption. Just like Dad has the power of Fire, I have the power of the very Earth.'

Rio then returned to normal. 'Sorry everyone, Don Thousand just gets in my head, and I can't help but believe everything that he tells me.' 'We're not here to have a go at you, we're not here to pity you. We're here to try and help you get back towards full health. I promise you- we are here to look after you, nothing more, nothing less.'

Point of View- Akiza

'Thanks. Have any of you got any throat lozenges?' 'Yeah- I've got one left. Here you go.' 'Cheers Tee.' 'No worries. It's nice having my hair down for once. Thank you Akiza for freeing me from my burdens.' 'That's a good girl Tee. You will obey me- in Malmo, you and Lukas are going to follow my orders, and destroy Justin and Alito, as well as the Samba Boyz, and the French Revolution.'

'Yes mistress Akiza.' 'Understood mistress Akiza- it would be my pleasure to serve you.' 'Good job training them up Akiza. Can I speak to you please.' 'Course you can Maddy.' Me and her then went into the main corridor. 'What is it?' 'I want you to make Jana a member of Black Rose Inc. Akiza, and I want it done quickly.'

'Sure.' 'If you do it, you're in my good books. If you do it by your duel tomorrow, you are going to be my second assistant in the Renegades, as long as you can work with Jodi.' 'Yeah- thanks. How does Jana feel about this?' 'I'm not asking Jana- I'm asking you.' 'Yeah- I can do that.'

'Good. Just remember to focus your power- makes it a hell of a lot easier. In fact, I've got a little something for you, just on the off chance that you can't do it manually.' I then gave her two rings. 'The Rings of Arianrod? I get you- offer it to her as a present.' 'Or you could get one of your two slaves to do it.'

'Yeah- good idea. Is there anywhere you can get a hair doughnut for under 2 quid?' 'Stranded at Gorton Market. Open at 9am- if you want, we can make a detour in the morning.' 'Thanks Maddy- you are brilliant.' 'No worries Akiza. You're doing me a favour, so I'm doing you one. I'll even put it in for Tee if you want.'

'How did you know it was for her?' 'I can read you like a book Akiza- a very dark book. Not as dark as my book though.' 'Yeah- I can imagine. You're doing really well Maddy.' 'I'm really not doing well Akiza- I just feel so distant from my own heart at the moment, it feels like it fell out of my chest.'

'Have you tried speaking to your Dad?' 'He's got enough on his plate. Just thinking about anything nice makes me sick at the moment. I need to look after the club though- Jodi doesn't want to take over, and nobody else can handle it, no offence.' 'None taken- I know you're better at it than I would ever be.'

'I'm really not- it's just that everybody knows I'm not a good person to get on the wrong side of. Especially the past couple of weeks- I've decided to go hard on everyone. I will take great pleasure in punishing everybody who doesn't tow the line- they know the rules.' 'Just between me and you Maddy, is there anything in particular you're taking a particularity hard line on?'

'Anybody who talks smack about Mum, Dad, me, or Rio. Also, there is a zero tolerance policy on Drugs and Alcohol. The only exception is either if they're painkillers and there's a valid reason, or there's a legitimate prescription. That's part of the reason I want you as an advisor- you've got medical knowledge that Sakura doesn't have.'

'Yeah- Sakura's what I call a Field Medic. She specialises in emergency medical attention using everyday items. Basically, she's an army-style medic. I specialise in Drugs and rare Diseases mainly. That's why I got promoted- the NHS are trying to improve their knowledge of Drugs. Also, I'm the youngest ever Senior Consultant of the NHS- 26 years old.'

'That also makes you the oldest member of the Renegades.' 'Is there anyone in he whole club older than me?' 'Yeah- Kris is 27. He's 4 months older than you.' 'How old is Rio?' '17. She's 18 in August. Mum was only 23.' 'Phil's only 22- he's a few months younger than Hannah was.'

'Who's the youngest member of the club?' 'Tee- 14 years and 7 months. She joined the day after her 14th birthday.' 'Wow- I thought it was gonna be Havok.' 'She's 17- Rio's 4 days older than her. It's a busy time around then- Dad's birthday is July 21st, Claude's is July 25th, Freja and Lydia are August 1st, Rio is August 19th, Havok is August 23rd, and Phil's Dad is August 24th.'

'Blair?' 'Age or birthday?' 'Both.' '19, 20th birthday is the day of the World Championship final- June 26th.' 'Jade?' 'I don't know- she's not been formally made a member of the club yet.' 'This is a really interesting chat.' 'Good.' 'How long have you known about Rio self-harming?' 'The day after she regained consciousness. I saw her doing it, and took a picture when I failed to stop her.'

'Why didn't you tell me?' 'I promised to keep her secret. I know how hard it is hiding things, and I thought she'd admit it to you in private.' 'We've had very little time together, just the two of us- it's a very busy time of year.' 'No worries Akiza. What do you think- should Rio have this respite day?' 'It might do her some good. You'd have to have somebody keeping an eye on her.' 'Cheers Akiza.'

'How are Lukas and Tee anyway?' 'Not bad- they split up last week.' 'Aww- why?' 'Tee admitted that she's not ready for a relationship- it's against the law as well. She's 14, and she said that she's just too young for it. Lukas also admitted that he'd found somebody else, because he realised that him and Tee wasn't working.'

'Who's he found?' 'A lovely girl.. no- young lady sorry, who is kind, and caring, but is also tough and a great duellist.' 'Blair's lesbian.' 'I was talking about you Maddy- you'd be really good together.' 'Is that just because we've both dyed our hair?' 'No- Lukas needs somebody to keep him out of his shell, and you need someone level-headed and loyal.'

'So what are you saying?' 'You like him?' 'I suppose- he is quite fit.' 'Ask him out then.' Lukas then walked up behind Maddy. 'Too late.' 'You're in another relationship?' 'No- I've just come to ask Maddy out on a date. What do you say- shall we give it a go?' 'If you actually speak like an Aussie, then yeah.' They then kissed.

When we went back in, Dad was waiting. 'Hey Phil.' 'Akiza, I've got something for you. Give this to Tee or Lukas for their duel.' 'You're evil, you know that?' 'Yeah, I know. It's one of my favourite cards- Lava Golem.' 'I hope we can use it well.' 'It's not difficult to use- you don't even need monsters to summon it.' 'I get you.'

'So Akiza, you understand what I was asking of you?' 'Yeah- I do. The job will get done, I promise. You can rely on me.' 'I know I can Akiza- I know you're loyal. Don't be afraid to use your psychic powers.' 'The only person who can unlock them all is Sayer, and he's in jail still.'

'Good job you said that to the tech expert. I'll work on something to extract more power.' 'Thanks Maddy. Be careful.' 'I know what I'm doing, don't worry. Once you've got your target, use this hair bobble to tie her hair back so I can keep track of where you are- it has a GPS tracker in it. Dad's design- originally used with Jodi.'

'Great- cheers.' 'No worries. Just make sure you get the job done Akiza- I'm putting my faith in you.' 'Are we all ready to go then?' 'Me and Tee are staying with Akiza.' 'Fair enough- see you tomorrow.' 'Bye.'

Point of View- Maddy

The next day, we got to the base, and Jana came up to me. 'Meeting?' 'Please.' 'Ok, my office now.' As we were going to the office, Lukas slipped the bobble into Jana's pocket, and I gave him the thumbs-up.

Point of View- Jana

Maddy sat down, and she still had her hood up. Immediately, I could see her eyes glowing gold. 'Calm down Maddy.' 'If you mean my eyes, I'm making them glow myself. Do you want this meeting or what?' 'Yeah- I do.' 'Sit down then- saves my neck.'

I then pulled my seat out. 'What is it? Did somebody poke you too hard?' 'I just want to know where I fit in in your new Renegades.' 'Your role has remained unchanged Jana. 'What role is that then?' 'We went through this not too long ago. You are at Scout level in the Warriors.'

'I would have thought that I might be one of your assistants, having been your close friend for so long.' 'I chose my assistants based on how useful they'd be, not how long I've known them.' 'You know my qualities.' 'Yeah- I should do.' 'Because we've known each other for a long time.' 'No- because since I became Interim President, you've emailed your CV to me no less than 16 times.'

'Well...' 'Well I've made my decision, and I'm not going back on it.' 'How long is till I get promoted?' 'There are no plans to promote you currently. Try keeping your knickers on if you want to get promoted.' 'That was uncalled for.' 'Sleeping with my boyfriend was uncalled for. And for your information, I'm thinking of giving Joe another chance.'

'Not if I ask him out first.' 'Yeah- I don't think that's going to happen.' She then showed me a text from Joe to her that morning, asking her to give him one more chance because he knew that he'd screwed up big time. I was speechless. 'Anything else Jana?' 'Why have you promoted Jodi ahead of me and Claude?'

'I trust Jodi- she has never let me down.' 'What about when she was working with Justin?' 'He possessed her, and she would have broken out of it earlier if we hadn't been too busy with your boyfriend Rhydian.' 'What's happened to you Maddy- you've changed, and for the worse as well.'

'I have changed Jana. I'm cold and desolate, like a foreign moon on a winter's day. I'm not a nice person to get on the wrong side of- you have to rule with an iron fist, otherwise you're going to be spoken over. I will rule over everyone, because I am the chosen one- I'm the saviour of our race. You need me, and you know it. Or at least you will do when Segolia come calling.'

'I think we're done here.' 'Good. Remember to close the door on your way out.' 'I will do- thanks for nothing.' 'You're welcome.' Just as I was leaving, Joe wedged the door open. 'Jana, I made it clear last week- I don't want you back. So stop pestering me about it.'

Point of View- Maddy

Joe then waited in the entrance to the office. 'Come in.' He then came in, and sat down. 'What is it?' 'I just wanted to apologise for being a complete arse by cheating on you. I'm not here to ask for you back because I know I don't deserve you. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for what I did to you.'

I then took my hood down. 'Joe, I know you're not asking for me back. I accept your apology. Deep down, I wasn't ready to commit, and neither were you. I understand that now, and I'm sure you do. I want to be your mate though- you're a nice guy, and you've always been there for us.'

'Cheers Maddy. I hope you find a good man.' 'I have- I've got back in a relationship today.' 'Go on.' 'My boyfriend is called Lukas Chipperfield.' 'Nice one- I've spoken to him a few times. Wicked sense of humour, second only to Phil.' 'Yeah- I wish Dad still had that sense of humour. He's broken.'

As we went out, Lukas came over to me. 'I heard about your plan with Jana. I reckon I can help- her and Tee have struck up a good relationship recently. How about we don't tell everyone else about our relationship.' 'I just told Joe.' 'Only 4 people need to know then- Joe, Tee, Akiza, and your Dad.'

'What about Blair?' 'Yeah, forgot about her. Apparently her and Jade are over.' 'Are they?' 'Yeah- she's grown fed-up that Jade's done nothing since moving in, and when she asked Jade about it, she said that she might as well move back to Idaho. Blair ended it right then.' 'I'll send Jade back there as a scouting job.'

'Why do you want Jana out of your way anyway?' 'She's doing my head in with sending her CV to me, asking... no- demanding a promotion to be one of my assistants.' 'I see where she's coming from, but it's your decision to make, not her decision.' 'Thanks Lukas.' 'I heard about your plan from Akiza- I like your style.'

'Anything to get her out of my hair.' 'Yeah. I must thank Akiza for playing cupid.' 'You were listening to the entire conversation, weren't you?' 'Yeah- of course I was. So was your Dad. Didn't he say so last night?' 'No- he barely said anything.' 'Wish I could help with that, but I can't revive your Mum. Sorry if it's a sensitive subject- I'm not very good at small talk.'

'No worries- I love a trier.' 'I'm not your usual brash, loud-mouth Aussie- I just keep quiet usually.' 'Yeah- I used to be like that. Then I came here, and I found my feet. You don't have to be a loud-mouth, brash Aussie- be you.' 'Yeah- I suppose you're right. You in the tag tournament in Malmo tomorrow?'

'Yeah- me and Dad. Well done for beating him in Riga.' 'It didn't mean that much to me, because he wasn't focused- he was a different person man. Like for real- he's not in a fit state to duel in my opinion. Anyway, see you later.' 'Bye.'

Point of View- Blair

The next day, we were on the way to Malmo. 'Dad, you sure you can duel?' 'Yeah- I can. You just focus on yourself Maddy.' 'I'm more concerned about you- you're my Dad, and you lost to Lukas because you weren't at 100%, physically or mentally.' 'You're right Maddy, but I'm focused now. And Akiza said she'll have a look at my back when we get to the stadium.'

I then tapped Maddy on the shoulder. 'Lay off of him a bit Mads- I know you have his best interests in mind, but he doesn't need a lecture.' 'Sorry, didn't mean to lecture him. I'm trying to get him focused.' 'I know, just trying to be helpful.' 'Yeah- I know Blair. You've got our best interests at heart.'

'What did Akiza say to Rio's home visit?' 'Yes, as long as we keep a close eye on her at all times.' 'Great.' 'Sorry about you and Jade.' 'No worries- I'm better off without her. I can safely say that I want to be single now. I want everyone to want me, but nobody to have me.'

'Good for you. You still planning on duelling?' 'Yeah- my first actual tournament as the World Number 1.' 'Nervous?' 'I'm always nervous- I used to dream about being Number 1, not thinking that one day, I would be Number 1. I've achieved everything I wanted in my career, and more.'

'You seen the draw?' 'No- it wasn't up when I looked earlier. They've been having weather problems in Malmo recently, which is why we were told to wrap up warm. I hope they've stopped though. Did I tell you about my new boyfriend?' 'No, but I know who I hope it is.' 'Go on.' 'I think Lukas would be a good match for you- opposites attract and all of that.'

'My boyfriend is actually sat right behind you.' I then looked around, and Lukas was behind me, with Akiza. 'Surprise- I'm Maddy's bit on the side.' 'Brilliant.' 'Maddy, did you get that doughnut?' 'Better- got one for Jana as well.' 'Cheers. How much do I owe you?' '£1- I'll foot the cost of Jana's.'

'Oh, and Lukas, I got you something.' She then passed a massive bar of chocolate over to him. 'What's that?' 'Breakfast. Akiza filled me in on your love of chocolate for breakfast on a duelling day. By the way, did you give Lukas that card Akiza?' 'Yeah- I thought he'd be better at using it, because he's more experienced than Tee.'

While Akiza was doing Tee's hair, Maddy checked on the website once again. 'Draw's up.' 'Go on.' 'Look at it yourself you lazy git.' 'Maddy, less of the name calling- it's my job.' 'Yes Dad.' The draw was as follows:

[1] Blair Flannigan vs. [21] Claude Duane

[38] Andrew Brown vs. [40] Radley

[11] Akiza Izinski vs. [25] Saeed Ul-Habarak

[12] Phil Robinson-Cummings vs. [95] Kari Tsukumo

[18] Justin Pipe vs. [60] Steven Malan

[28] Johannas Ibarö vs. [98] Dumon

[101] Tee Taylor vs. [72] Kenta Kobayashi

[24] Birchall vs. [33] Astrid Langvik

Tag Tournament:

M18 Connection ([12] Phil Robinson-Cummings + [17] Maddy Robinson-Cummings) vs. C+C Duel Factory ([104] Bronk Stone + [115] Percy Watson)

Brown Brothers ([38] Andrew + [42] Rodney) vs. Defectors ([10] Rachel Ekersall and [96] Cathy Katherine)

Barian Alliance ([96] Dumon + [87] Mizar) vs. Black Rose Inc. ([14] Lukas Chipperfield + [101] Tee Taylor)

Pipes of Doomsday ([19] Doom + [18] Justin Pipe) vs. Powerplay ([105] David Marshall + [106] Da Brooks Kid)

Challenge Belt Tournament:

If Astrid wins, she joins the Renegades and Jazmine/Martyr is free: [33] Astrid Langvik vs. Martyr

Young Gun Championship #1 Contender: Martin Garcia vs. [3] Woodrow Stratus vs. [40] Spica

Young Gun Championship: Winner of previous match vs. (c) [17] Maddy Robinson-Cummings

Tag-Team #1 Contenders: French Revolution ([30] Jean-Louis Bonaparte + [40] René Dupree) vs. Samba Boyz (Marcelo and Mikky) vs. [111] Alito + [53] Justin Chappell vs. Black Rose Inc. ([14] Lukas Chipperfield + [101] Tee Taylor) vs. Defectors ([10] Rachel Ekersall and [96] Cathy Katherine)

Handicap Duel: [11] Akiza Izinski vs. Powerplay ([105] David Marshall + [106] Da Brooks Kid)

Legend vs. Renegade Killa: [24] Birchall vs. [26] Kalin Kessler

Challenge Belt: (c) [87] Vector vs. [96] Nash

Point of View- Maddy

'Are you bothered about not being on the Challenge Belt card Dad?' 'Not really- I couldn't care less. You've got a nice easy duel Maddy.' 'Cheers Dad. I'm still waiting for Vector's response.' 'I've just seen something on the website- Vector's accepted your challenge, and added another stipulation- if he wins, Spica wins the title back.' 'Well that's not gonna happen, so I'd happily accept anyway.'

'Akiza, are Tee and Lukas in good duelling shape?' 'Yeah- I'll give them a briefing just before they go out there.' 'How long has Tee had those highlights in her hair?' 'Since yesterday- Blair's idea. Has anyone used these doughnuts before?' 'I have.' 'Could I have some help then?' 'Sure.'

While Lydia was helping Akiza, we landed. 'The stadium's a 20 minute drive away. Be careful in this weather.' 'We will be, cheers Rob.' 'No worries mate. What's with the 3 rings?' 'The first one is my wedding ring, the second one was Hannah's wedding ring, and the 3rd one is Rio's ring that she bought as a young girl.'

'Nice- so you're wearing all 3 as a mark of respect. Good on you man.' 'Cheers. I'm proving that I do have a heart. Gang, let's move out.' We all got out, and got in the Marauder bus. When we eventually got to the stadium (a snowstorm had reduced us to a crawl), we were late for Astrid's duel. So Blair briefed Martyr, and she left, followed by Blair, while Dad parked up.

Isabella was doing announcing for us as usual. First out was Astrid, without Ragnerok, and without her usual armour, opting to come out in a fur coat. She actually got a very decent reception. 'The following is a freedom duel. If Astrid wins, Martyr will be released from Serotonin, and Astrid will be allowed to join the Renegades. Introducing first, from Stravanger, Norway, she is Astrid Langvik'.

Astrid came out, and just walked straight down to the duelling zone, saying nothing. When she got there, she simply raised her fist. She then awaited Martyr's entrance. Serotonin's music hit, as Martyr appeared, with her mask on. 'And her opponent, representing Serotonin, from Dystopia, Matryr.'

Martyr came straight down as well, with me and Blair watching over her. When they met in the centre of the duelling zone, they simply stared at each other. Both of them then activated their duel disks, starting the duel. 'What deck's Martyr using?' 'My Rock deck. It's very simple to use, unless she activate Catapult Zone- that's where the skill comes into it.'

Malmo Masters Tournament: [33] Astrid Langvik LP:4000 vs. Martyr LP:4000

Turn 1- Martyr- 'I start. I summon out Golem Sentry (Def.:2000). I end my turn with a face-down.'

Turn 2- Astrid- 'I draw. I play a monster face-down in Defence mode, and end my turn.' 'What do you think that is Dad?' 'Tanngrisnir of the Nordic Beasts- when it's destroyed, it summons out two Level 3 tokens. She's luring Martyr in so she can summon Thor easier.' 'Makes sense. Why though- why did she play it face-down?' 'Trying to make us second-guess ourselves. It's a strange tactic... of course.'

'Of course what?' 'She's fully aware that Martyr can't think for herself. She's probably trying to make whoever's making her moves for her second-guess themselves.' 'Who is making the moves?' 'Me- it's my deck, and I know how good Astrid is.' 'You want her on board don't you?' 'It's got nothing to do with me.'

'I know that I want her on board, but only if she duels well here and now. I'm gonna streamline the Renegades, and there isn't a place for everybody.' 'Who's up for the chop?' 'I've already gotten rid of Amber, because she's been on scouting duties for 5 months now, and hasn't reported back to us once.'

'I've taken Mollie off of the official roster because she's based in Switzerland now, and she consented to it. Freja and Lydia have been promoted from the Warriors to the Renegades for great work, and Rio's off of club duty until further notice, because she'll need time to accustom to being home when they eventually release her from hospital. I'm hoping that the day off of hospital does her some good.' 'Hopefully. Akiza's been very generous.'

Martyr- 'My turn. I release Golem Sentry to summon out Big-Tusked Mammoth (Atk:2000). Mammoth, attack her face-down monster.' Big-Tusked Mammoth trampled Astrid's monster (Tanngrisnir Def.:800), destroying it. 'I activate the ability of Tanngrisnir. Because you destroyed it in battle, I can summon out two Nordic Beast Tokens (Def.:0000)x2.'

'Turn end.'

Astrid- 'I draw. I summon out Guldfaxe of the Nordic Beasts (Atk:1600). I now use my Level 4 Guldfaxe to give my two Level 3 Nordic Beast Tokens a tune-up. I summon out Thor, Lord of the Aesir (Atk:3500).' 'Big-Tusked Mammoth's ability stops any of your monsters attacking on the same turn in which you summoned them.'

'Fine then- I'll activate Nordic Relic Explosion. Because I have a Nordic monster on the field, I can discard my entire hand, and then, if it had a card with the words "Nordic Relic" in it, then you take damage equal to the Attack points of all Nordic monsters on the field. And guess what- I had Gungnir in my hand.'

Nordic Relic Explosion then swallowed Martyr up with it's massive explosion, blowing her away, and she crashed to the ground (Martyr LP:4000-500). 'I end my turn. Jazmine, I am going to get through to you, I promise.'

Martyr- 'I draw.' 'Dad, I forgot to tell you that I gave Martyr something.' Martyr was then coated in a harsh black light, before the shadows seemed to envelop her. 'What's going on?' 'The shadows have chosen me to beat you. I activate Fusion Gate, letting me fuse Relinquished and Thousand-Eyes Idol to summon out Thousand-Eyes Restrict (Atk:0000).'

'I now activate it's ability, letting it equip Thor to itself, gaining all of it's Attack points.' The ancient eye on the face of Thousand-Eyes Restrict forced Thor to walk towards it, and it then absorbed Thor using it's mouth (Atk:0000-3500).'

'I'll finish you off now with Fusion Weapon. Because Restrict is a Level 6 or below Fusion monster, it gains 1200 Attack points (Atk:3500-4700). It's time to convert you- Thousand-Eyes Restrict, attack her directly with _Restriction Illusion!' _Thousand-Eyes created an illusion, which seemed to be showing Astrid something.

'What's it trying to show me?' Jazmine then spoke in her normal voice. 'This is you Astrid- you're being shown a vision of you. This was your chance to prove yourself, and you did that.' 'Maybe... maybe this is my destiny.' Astrid was then thrown back by the force, reducing her Life points to zero (Astrid LP:4000-0000).

After the duel, I walked over to Astrid. 'Astrid, you lost. But you also won. I am here to declare that you will join us.' 'Yes- make me a Renegade.' 'I will do.' I then held out the card "Mind Control", tuning Astrid into a puppet, with the strings visible to me. 'You belong to us now Astrid- you will obey.' 'Yes- obey.' We then left together with Martyr.

When we got backstage, I saw Jana larking around, so I decided to make-up with her. 'Jana, sorry about yesterday- I was out of order.' 'Yeah- I'm sorry too.' 'Why don't you tie your hair back- I think it looks nice up in a pony.' 'Sure, yeah.' She then tied her hair back, using the bobble planted by Lukas.

As Jana left, I commenced the plan, by phoning Akiza. 'Hi Maddy.' 'Akiza, thunderbirds are go- the plan is on.' 'Understood- I'll send Tee out now.' 'Thanks. Jana is headed East from the cargo bay. East from the cargo bay- sensor being switched on now.' 'Understood- Tee's on her way.'

A couple of minutes later, Akiza and Tee arrived. 'She went East then?' 'Yeah- East. Sensor's on, here's the console.' 'Thanks. Tee, let me put this whisper clip on your ear.' Akiza then put a scaled piece of metal on Tee's right ear, and put one on her left ear as well.

'You will listen to what I say through these- I will guide you. When you get to her, make sure she puts on both of the Rings of Arianrod- the power will trap her mind, making her one of us.' 'Yes mistress- she will be one of us.' 'Now go Tee- do your job.' 'Yes mistress Akiza.'

She then left. 'You're doing a good job with her.' 'She's easy to control- I can make her do anything against her will.' 'Prove it to me later.' 'I will do.' 'Mistress- which way?' 'You need to go North now. North for 3 corridors.' Tee then did that. 'Chocolate?' 'Yeah- thanks Mads. Astrid's joined now then.' 'Yeah- she's going to be repackaged by Dad.'

'Repackaged and Rewritten.' 'Exactly.' 'Which way now?' 'You're near her now- she's just to the west. Take the whisper clips off.' 'Yes mistress.' We could still see what was going on though, because Dad and Akiza had engineered Tee to make her eyes into a video camera.

'Hi Jana.' 'Oh, hi Tee. You alright?' 'Yeah- It's just that I heard about your altercation with Maddy yesterday.' 'Yeah- I'm going to overthrow her.' 'Why?' 'She's turned into an evil bitch. She apologised to me, but I'm not fooled by her.' 'I'll join you. Oh yeah- I've got something for you.'

She then produced the rings. 'Aww, sweet. They look well expensive.' 'I know- it's a little gift from me to you. I couldn't wait for Christmas.' They then hugged. 'Thanks Tee. What do you think of my hair?' 'Looks nice like that- it's beautiful. Why don't you try the rings on?' 'Yeah- why not.'

She then put the first ring on. 'Maybe I should save the second one for Christmas day?' Tee then forced the second ring onto Jana's ring finger. 'What are you doing?' Jana then stood to attention. 'Jana, I am your mistress- Akiza. You will join Black Rose Incorporated.' 'Yes- I will join.' The mark of the rose then appeared on Jana's forehead, and they came back to us.

'Jana, you are in Black Rose Inc.' 'Hail mistress Akiza, the Black Rose.' 'That's right. Tee, you will obey me as well.' 'Yes mistress.' 'Tee, turn around.' Akiza then put a scrunchee in Tee's hair to keep the bun more secure. 'Whisper clips on, and make-up on, and now you are ready for your duel later.'

I then used the other hair doughnut to tie Jana's hair back in a bun, before going off to find out who I was going to be facing to retain my title (the duel with Vector was part of the main tournament). When I got there, the duel was already ongoing.

Young Gun Championship #1 Contender: Martin Garcia LP:900, Abaki Atk:850, 1 face-down vs. [3] Woodrow Stratus LP:3000, Manticore of Darkness Atk:2800, 2 face-downs vs. [40] Spica LP:1750, Number 22 Atk:5000, 1 face-down

Woodrow- 'I draw. I'll use my Mystical Space Typhoon to rid you of that pesky face-down Martin.' Mystical Space Typhoon blew away his face-down (Raigeki), and destroyed it. 'And with that done, I'll activate Graverobber, which lets me steal Raigeki. I'll now utilise it, destroying all of your monsters Spica.'

"Why me?" 'I reserve a special hatred for people who try and dodge title matches.' Raigeki unleashed a wicked lightning bolt, destroying Zombiestein. 'With that done, I'll dispose of the deadwood. Goodbye Martin.' Manticore of Darkness slashed at Martin, ending his involvement in the duel (Martin LP:900-0000).

'Next, I'll activate Attacker's Instinct. Because my monster attacked directly this turn, it can attack again, as long as I half it's Attack points. Attack her.' Manticore of Darkness slashed at Spica (Atk:2800-1400), dealing serious damage to Spica (Spica LP:1750-350). 'I end my turn.'

Spica- "My turn. I activate Xyz Reborn. This revives Number 22, and then this card becomes it's overlay unit (Atk:4500-5000). I now activate Rank-up Magic Barian's Force. This ranks up Number 22 into a Chaos Xyz monster. Go- Chaos Xyz Evolution! I summon out Chaos Number 22- Zombiegoliath (Atk:4000-4500)."

'How scary.' "It is- if it was summoned by ranking up Zombiestein, it gains 1000 Attack points for every chaos overlay unit it has (Atk:4500-6500). Now Number C22, finish him off." Zombiegoliath grabbed Manticore of Darkness, and turned it into dust (Woodrow LP:3000-0000).

Point of View- Phil

After the duel, Spica had little time to celebrate as Maddy came straight out, in my black jacket. 'The following is for the Young Gun Championship. Introducing her opponent, from the M18 District of Manchester, England, she is **our **Young Gun Champion, the Dark Wolf- Maddy Robinson-Cummings.'

Maddy came straight down, her eyes glowing gold. "Wow Maddy- you've grown up, haven't you?" 'Shut up- you're almost as full of shit as your Mum is. Then again, at least your Mum wasn't murdered.' Maddy activated her duel disk, as her eyes pulsated evil.

Young Gun Championship: [40] Spica LP:350 vs. (c) [17] Maddy Robinson-Cummings

LP:4000

Turn 1- Maddy- 'I draw. I activate the ability of the Big One Warrior in my hand. By discarding a Level 1 monster from my hand, I can summon it (Atk:100). Next, I summon out Kinka-Byo (Atk:400). I'll now activate it's ability, letting me revive Kuriboh (Atk:200).' "Kuriboh? Why would I be concerned about a puffball? It's about as scary as your face."

'I'll give you a real fright then. I overlay my 3 Level 1 monsters to build the overlay network. I summon out Number 54- Lion Heart (Atk:100).' "I thought it was supposed to be fearsome." 'I am- I'll prove it. Number 54, attack Zombiegoliath.' "You've lost it." 'I activate the ability of Number 54. By detaching an overlay unit, you take the damage I would have done. Go- _Pulverising Pounce!' _Lion Heart pounced at Zombiegoliath, and the impact threw Spica to the ground (Spica LP:350-0000).

After the duel, Akiza came down, and picked Spica up, before slamming her to the ground back-first (a spinebuster), before pulling the wires out of the sound system, and handing them to Maddy, who proceeded to tie Spica to the entranceway with them. She then started booting Spica in the gut, and Akiza came in with a forearm, completely knocking Spica out.

Vector then came out, minus his title belt. "What will it take to stop this madness?" 'Me against you right now for possession of Number 96. Akiza, you take care of the slut.' 'Understood.' Vector opened his duel disk up, starting the duel. Maddy's eyes glowed red before the duel started though, and Don Thousand appeared, stuck in a red cage.

"Wha... what's going on?" 'Don Thousand won't be helping you here Vector. He's trapped in a fire cage. The slightest hint of him communicating with you, and he'll be incinerated instantly, along with you.'

Grudge Match: [87] Vector LP:4000 vs. [17] Maddy Robinson-Cummings LP:4000

Turn 1- Maddy- 'Draw. I play a monster face-down in Defence mode, and end my turn with a couple of face-downs.'

Turn 2- Vector- "I draw. I activate Rank-up Magic the Seventh One. This lets me summon out Number 104- Masquerade (Atk:2400). Next, I can rank it up. Go- Chaos Xyz Evolution! Barian's power, born of chaos, lay waste to this world of filth. I summon out Chaos Number 104- Umbral Horror Masquerade (Atk:3000)."

"Now Chaos Number 104, destroy her monster." Umbral Horror Masquerade shot a beam of darkness out of it's staff at Maddy's monster (Sonic Chick Def.:300). 'Don't forget Vector- you can't destroy my monster. And Number C104's ability won't work, because it's a lingering effect that wasn't actually activated.'

"Boring. I end my turn with a face-down."

Maddy- 'I draw.' Maddy then looked up at me, and I just nodded at her, before cheering her on. 'Come on Maddy! You can... no- you will do it!' 'Cheers Dad.' 'You know that I'm still here for you.' 'Yeah- I know that. I'll never forget that. I special summon Jester Confit through it's ability (Atk:0000).'

"It's ability eh?" 'Yeah- at the end of my turn, it gets sent to the graveyard. It doesn't leave empty-handed though, it takes one of your monsters with it. But I'm not planning on letting it stay around anyway.' "What do you mean?" 'What I mean is that I now summon out Darklon (Atk:100).'

'I now activate Darklon's ability. When I normal summon it, I can make the Levels of all my monsters 2, and make their attributes Dark (Level:1-2)x3.' "Just to check- you're aware that you don't have Number 96?" 'Not yet I don't. I activate DNA Surgery. This changes the type of all the monsters on the field. I choose Winged-Beast-type.'

'I now activate Tannhäuser Gate. Because all the monsters on my field are of the same type, I can combine their Levels. 2+2+2=6 (Level:2-)6)x3. I now overlay my Level 2 Darklon and Sonic Chick to build the overlay network.' Maddy's eyes then glowed brighter/ "Ok, now I'm concerned." 'You should be. I summon out Number 6- Chronomaly Atlandis (Atk:2600).'

'I now activate my other face-down.' "I'm not bothered." 'Tell that to Icarus Attack!' "Ah- not that! Anything but that." 'Icarus Attack lets me tribute my Jester Confit, and destroy 2 cards on the field. Say goodbye to Umbral Horror Masquerade, and whatever your face-down is- probably Nightmare Xyz.'

"How did you know?" 'Akiza's power is pulsating through me- I foresee your doom.' Icarus Attack then shot a flaming arrow through Confit, destroying it. Confit's spirit then surged through Vector's field, beheading Umbral Horror Masquerade, and spearing straight through Vector's face-down (Nightmare Xyz).

'Akiza, what's this about your power in Maddy's body?' 'Power-share. I know it's technically illegal, but I bounced the idea off of Maddy, and she vetoed it.' 'Akiza, I underestimated you- you're bloody clever. Thanks for staying on board.' 'You need all the help you can get. I've got a mate in Edmonton if you need to get away for a couple of weeks.' 'Once Rio's out of hospital, we'll discuss it- cheers Akiza.'

'No worries. I'm sorry I didn't appreciate being a part of the club sooner.' 'I'm sorry if I was very hard on you Akiza.' 'No need to cry- I know it's been tough. That's why I offered the chance to just get away from it all- I know you need support, both you and Maddy. She's a strong wolf.' 'She's a strong wolf- that's the problem. She can't control her true power- we're gonna unleash it though.'

'Chronomaly Atlandis, attack with _Celestial Strike!' _Atlandis then erupted, and the fiery magma (controlled by Maddy) washed over Vector, badly burning him (Vector LP:4000-1400). Spica then broke away from Akiza, and went to check on Vector. 'One step closer to me, and I'll savage you.'

Spica then went to attack Maddy, but Akiza decked her from behind with another forearm. 'Good job Akiza. I end my turn with a face-down. Get up Vector- I'm not done with you.'

Vector- "I draw." Vector then doubled over in pain. 'I activate my face-down. It's called Rank-up Magic Quick Chaos. This lets me rank-up Number 6 into a Chaos Xyz Monster. Go- Renegade Xyz Evolution!' Maddy then howled, and her eyes glowed once again. 'I rebuild the overlay network with Number 6. I summon out Chaos Number 6- Chronomaly Chaos Atlandis (Atk:3300).'

"I activate Xyz Destiny. This lets me send two Xyz monsters to my graveyard, to regain 2000 Life points. I choose to get rid of Chaos Numbers 105 and 106." Xyz Destiny coated Vector in a Barian field of energy, recovering his Life points (Vector LP:1400-3400). I now activate a new Rank-up Magic card called Admiration of the Thousands."

'How scary.' "This lets me banish Umbral Horror Masquerade, Battlin' Boxer Comet Cestus, and Giant Red Hand, to summon out an Xyz monster that's one Rank higher. I summon out Chaos Number 75- Chaos Chimera Dragon (Atk:0000)." 'I like your monster- nice and powerless.'

"It gains 1000 Attack points for every overlay unit it possesses (Atk:0000-3000). I now activate Xyz Unit. It gives my Dragon another 200 Attack points for each of it's ranks (Atk:3000-4200). I'll end my turn."

Maddy- 'This is the end of the line for you Vector. M18 Miracle Draw!' "Can't wait for what you've got in store." 'You'll regret saying that. I activate the ability of Number C6. Once per turn, it can turn one of your monsters into equip card, and equip it to itself, giving it 1000 more Attack points.'

Number C6 grabbed Number C75, and indented it into the rock at the top of Chaos Atlandis (Atk:3300-4300). 'When Chaos Atlandis uses one of it's abilities, you take no further damage this turn. I end my turn.'

Vector- "I draw. I play a monster face-down in Defence mode, and end my turn there."

Maddy- 'I draw. I activate the second ability of Chaos Number 6. By de-equpping any monster equipped to it, and detaching 3 chaos overlay units, I can make your Life points 1. Go- _Celestial Storm!' _Chaos Number 6 unleashed a devastating storm of magma and lava, slamming Vector into the ground (Vector LP:3400-1).'

'I enjoyed that. I end my turn.'

Vector- "I draw. I throw down a monster in Defence mode, and end my turn." 

Maddy- 'I' I then spoke to her telepathically. 'Maddy.' 'Dad, what are you doing here?' 'You're ready- ready to unleash your full primal power. Think of all that you have been through- everyone who has disrespected you, who refuses to understand you. Let it fuel your rage, and channel your anger.'

'What if I can't handle it though?' 'I'll keep an eye on you, and I promise I'll keep you safe.' 'I trust you Dad. It's time to accept my destiny.' 'Good luck Maddy, and remember- Hannah's watching over you. You have a guardian angel.' 'You're right Dad.' We then ended the communication.

'M18 Miracle Draw! I activate Nobleman of Crossout. This banishes your face-down monster, and all monsters of the same name in either of our decks. And that means you're all alone.' "Who are you?" 'I'm Maddy- the Dark Wolf. I'm evil- pure evil, full of darkness. It fills me with hatred- I can do horrible things. You want to see? Because you're about to get a front row seat. Chronomaly Chaos Atlandis, attack directly with _Eternal Devastation!' _Number C6 erupted once again, before knocking Vector out with it's flaming fist, ending the duel (Vector LP:1-0000).

After the duel, Maddy took Number 96 and Chaos Number 96 from Vector, and put them in her pocket. She then released the fire cage of Don Thousand's, and lit a match. 'Darkness- darkness is coming.' She then blew the match out, and left it on Vector's neck, burning him, before coming back over. Meanwhile, Akiza slammed Spica against the metal post again, before dropping her elbow into Spica's right eye. She then grabbed a mic. 'All for the Renegades.'

Backstage, Maddy slumped to her knees. 'What's wrong with her?' 'I thought this might happen. When she unlocks her primal power for the first time, it takes a lot out of her. It's nothing that a short rest can't solve.' 'So she'll be able to duel tomorrow?' 'Absolutely- give her half an hour, and she'll be fine again.'

'That power I felt- I have never felt anything like it before.' 'Your true power can be very dangerous. That's why me and Hannah sealed it off. You have to choose the exact right time to use it Maddy- otherwise not only will you be in danger, but also other people will be in danger. You need to remember that Maddy.' 'I will do.'

Some weird looking woman then came up to us. 'Maddy, is that really you?' 'Ceri? What are you doing here?' 'Please Maddy- I need your help.' 'What is it?' 'Segolia are following me- trying to do experiments on me. I need shelter- I need protection. Rhydian's working for them.' 'I know- he's after me. They want me as well as you- they want to eradicate wolfbloods.'

'Sorry if I'm butting in here, but who is this Maddy?' 'Dad, this is Ceri- Rhydian's mam. Ceri, this is Phil- my adoptive Dad.' 'Hannah was your wife, yes?' 'Yeah- how did you know?' 'The day of the shooting, I heard Rhydian boasting about how he filmed Hannah being shot dead. He wears it as a badge of honour- a sign of strength. I need you to bring him to his senses.'

'He's completely mad. A loose cannon- no-one knows what he's capable of.' 'That's why Birchall's not turned on him yet- he's so very unpredictable. The moment Rhydian shows a hint of weakness, Birchall will turn on him. And Rhydian knows that- there's no honour among thieves. The moment one of them shows weakness, they will turn on each other, no doubt about it.'

'What do we do then?' 'We have to find some sort of way to split Segolia up from Birchall and Rhydian- they're too strong together, and we know that all too well.' 'Don't forget- we have an insider for Segolia.' 'Oh yeah- Lukas' parents work for them. Lukas, we need you a moment.'

Lukas then came over, with Tee by his side. 'We need everything you know about Segolia.' 'My Dad is one of the head honchos there- he's called Alex Kincade.' 'Why's Kincade not your surname then?' 'Because my parents got married when I was 8. I chose to take my Mum's maiden name- she was called Rebecca Chipperfield. He moved to Newcastle after joining the fledgling Segolia, leaving her to bring me up by herself.'

'What happened to her?' 'The day after my 18th birthday, she was having a romantic meal out with her new boyfriend, when she was shot in the head by a masked gunman, believed to be my Dad. She's still not fully recovered from it, and has been flown recently to a hospital in London to have pioneering brain surgery.'

'The only problem is that because she's not got travel insurance, it's gonna cost £165,000 for it. I can't afford that- I'm completely broke.' I then walked over to Lukas. 'Sorry to hear that mate. Tell you what- if everyone else from the club can chip in, I'll contribute half of it. That's £82,500.' 'Dad, you can't afford that- I'll contribute half of your amount.'

'You can't afford that.' 'I can't, but I have mates. I'll see what they can contribute. Trust me Lukas- we'll pay for it. Anyone have a clue where Blair's gone?' 'No- she walked off during your duel with Spica. Just before you summoned Lion Heart.' 'Cheers Akiza. I'm going to go and find her.' Me, Jodi, and Belle then went to find her.

'Where do you think she is?' 'I don't know- strange things have been happening lately.' 'Yeah- very true.' 'Think about it- if Blair was possessed, who would she be going after? Perhaps somebody she's not been after yet. And that means that we might find out who or what is possessing her.' 'Belle, you're a genius.' 'She is in Mensa.' 'Is she?' 'Yeah- read it on her file earlier. IQ of 151 on Cattell B.' 'I have no clue what you're on about.' 'Basically, she's really really clever.' 'Oh right. Making me feel stupid here you two.' 'First time for everything.'

'So who do you think she's after?' 'Wouldn't be Rhydian, because he's not here.' 'Birchall?' 'Possibly. But he's always got security guards with him. Blair did do Karate when she was younger though.' 'Vector?' 'That's my hunch- I don't really know though.' 'Just then, we heard Spica scream. 'That way.' We then followed the scream.

When we got to Spica, she looked like she'd been savaged. Maddy was next to her, on one knee, breathing heavily. 'Maddy, you ok?' 'Darkness is coming, and it will swallow the entire world up. The world will never be the same.' 'What are you on about?' 'Listen Phillip Joseph Robinson- the world will never be the same again. The world in question is your world.'

Maddy then snapped out of the apparent trance that she was in. 'What am I doing here?' 'Well you can start by explaining what you just said to me.' 'What?' 'My world will never be the same.' 'I have no clue what you're on about. The last I remember, I was coming out of the toilets.'

'So Blair was possessed while going to have a drink, now Maddy's been possessed while going to the toilet. Who or whatever is possessing her has a very warped sense of humour, and that's coming from me.' 'Hannah.' 'Is dead, you don't need to remind me.' 'No- this has to have something to do with Hannah.'

'Ok, now you've completely lost your mind Belle.' 'Seriously- who else could it be?' 'She has a point. As hard as it is to believe, maybe Hannah's sending us a warning.' 'I don't believe it for a second- I'm off, before anyone else decides to start idle gossip about my dead wife.' I then left, in a suitably bad mood.

When I got back, the Samba Boyz were just coming out. "The following is a five-way #1 contenders match-up for the Challenger Tag-Team Titles. Already out, from Sao Paulo, Brazil, they are Marcelo and Mikky- the Samba Boyz. And their opponents, representing the French Revolution, they are your Canadian Tag-Team Champions- Rene Dupree, and Jean-Louis Bonaparte. And their opponents, representing the Brave Bones, they are the team of Rachel Eckersall and Cathy Katherine- the Defectors."

Alito and Justin then came out, to the Brave Bones music. "Introducing the third pair of combatants, representing Don Thousand's Barians, from Barian World, he is Alito. And his Tag-Team partner, representing the Brave Bones, from London, England, he is Justin Chappell.' When they got to the duelling zone, Justin stared at me, while Alito just battlemorphed.

Black Rose Inc.'s music hit last, as they came out. 'And the final pair of combatants, representing Black Rose Inc., from the Garden of the Black Rose, they are the team of Lukas Chipperfield and Tee Taylor.' Tee and Lukas came out, with Akiza right behind them. When they got to the duelling zone, Lukas antagonised Justin by getting in his face, while Tee brazenly spat at Bonaparte, making him angry. Tee and Lukas now had identical duel disk to Akiza- dark pink with a black rose on each side. Everyone activated their duel disks, beginning the duel.

Tag-Team #1 Contenders: French Revolution ([30] Jean-Louis Bonaparte + [40] René Dupree) LP:4000 vs. Samba Boyz (Marcelo and Mikky) LP:4000 vs. [111] Alito + [53] Justin Chappell LP:4000 vs. Black Rose Inc. ([14] Lukas Chipperfield + [101] Tee Taylor) LP:4000 vs. Defectors ([10] Rachel Ekersall and [96] Cathy Katherine) LP:4000

Turn 1- Bonaparte- "I start, mon ami. I draw. I summon out Toy Soldier (Atk:800). I end my turn with a face-down."

Turn 2- Marcelo- 'It's my turn everybody. I summon The Six Samurai- Yaichi (Atk:1300). Next, I activate Double Summon, letting me summon out The Six Samurai- Irou (Atk:1700). I now activate the ability of Yaichi, letting me destroy your face-down Bony.' "Don't call me Bony- I'm perfectly well formed." Yaichi fired an arrow at the face-down (Gulliver's Chain), destroying it. 'I'll just end my turn there.'

Turn 3- Alito- "Why did I have to be stuck with this lump? Anyway, it's my turn. I summon out Battlin' Boxer Counterpunch (Def.:1100). I end my turn with a face-down."

Turn 4- Cathy- "Draw. I summon Cat Girl (Def.:1600). Her ability lets me summon out Stray Cat Girl (Atk:600). I now overlay two Level 4 monsters to summon out Cat Girl Magician (Atk:2000). Turn end."

Turn 5- Lukas- 'I draw. I activate Polymerisation, fusing together my 2 Cyber Dragons to summon out Cyber Twin Dragon (Atk:2800). I end my turn with 3 face-downs.'

Rene- "I draw. I summon Don Zaloog (Def.:1500). I end my turn." 'Pathetic. This isn't a 5-way, it's 4-1. We're in it for the long haul though.' 'Too right.'

Mikky- 'My go. I summon out The Six Samurai- Yariza (Atk:1000). I now activate Solidarity, giving all our monsters 800 extra Attack points (Yariza Atk:1000-1800, Yaichi Atk:1300-2000, Irou Atk:1700-2500).'

'I activate the ability of Yariza. Because I have another Six Samurai on the field, Yariza can attack directly.' 'Please- you can't get near us. I activate Mirror Force. This destroys every single one of your pathetic monsters that is in Attack mode. I also activate Justice Field. Thanks to this, because 2 or more monsters are gonna be destroyed...' 'Everyone apart from us takes 500 points of damage for each monster that eats dust.'

Mirror Force destroyed all the attacking monsters in a flash of light, before Justice Field dropped bombs on everyone, reducing their Life points (Samba Boyz LP:4000-1500, Revolution LP:4000-1500, Justin and Alito LP:4000-1500, Defectors LP:4000-1500). 'I end my turn with a face-down.'

Justin- "My draw. I play a monster face-down in Defence mode, and end my turn."

Rachel- "Draw. I play a monster face-down and end my turn."

Tee- 'I draw. I know you're scared, which is why I'll make this quick and painful. I activate De-Fusion, splitting Lukas' Cyber Twin Dragon into two Cyber Dragons (Atk:2100)x2. I now summon out The Light- Hex-Sealed Fusion (Atk:1000). I now activate it's ability, letting me tribute it and Lukas' two Cyber Dragons to summon out Cyber End Dragon (Atk:4000).'

'I now activate Quick Attack, letting my End Dragon attack this turn. Let's see- I'm going to start by getting rid of Justin and Alito.' "Why always us?" 'If you've not already been told, we don't like you one little bit Justin. You should never have come back- like ever. We are Black Rose Inc., and will not rest until your lot are back in Barian World Alito, and you're where your mate left Hannah Justin.'

"She deserved what she got- she's a lot nicer in that grave anyway.' Tee then let her hair down, with a fiery aura around her. 'So are you- so we'll send you there now. Cyber End Dragon, seek and destroy with _Super Strident Blaze!' _Cyber End Dragon fired flames from all 3 heads at Justin, frying him alive, leaving him scorched (Justin and Alito LP:1500-0000).

Alito then ran away, with Cyber End Dragon firing a flame at him, which barely missed. 'We're not done. I activate Miracle Galaxy, enabling us to attack a second time. This time, I'll get rid of Birchall's little pets. Cyber End Dragon, do your stuff.' Cyber End Dragon flamed Cathy and Rachel, ending their duel (Defectors LP:1500-0000).

'With that done, I end my turn with a face-down.' 'Good job Tee.' 'Cheers Lukas.'

Bonaparte- "I draw. I activate Premature Burial to revive Toy Soldier (Atk:400, Revolution LP:1500-700). I now activate Soldier's Firing Squad. By tributing 1 Toy Soldier, I can destroy any card I like on the field. I choose Cyber End Dragon." 'You really don't get it, do you?'

"Get what?" 'We've got an answer to your every move. I activate Mind Control, turning your soldier against you.' 'So what- I get it back at the end of my turn." 'Yeah- you do. Not without a cost though- I activate Vengeful Servant.' What does that do?" 'You'll see.' "I end my turn with a face-down." 'Oh good- now we get to deal you with 400 points of damage.' Vengeful Servant then shot a blast of fire out at Bonaparte and Rene when Toy Soldier returned to their side, reducing their Life points (Revolution LP:700-300).

Marcelo- 'I draw man. I activate Monster Reborn, to bring back The Six Samurai- Irou (Atk:1700). I now summon out Legendary Six Samurai- Enishi (Atk:1700). I now activate Enishi's ability, which allows me to banish Yariza and Yaichi from my graveyard to return Cyber End Dragon to your hand.'

'I activate the ability of the Effect Veiler in my hand. By discarding it, it can negate your monster's ability.' 'C'mon- why?' 'Because we have style, passion, and a reason to win. Your lives must be so good, being paid by Birchall to kill us all because he didn't have the balls.'

'Uh, I end my turn? Will that do?' 'Yeah- it will.'

Lukas- 'I draw. I tribute The Six Samurai- Irou and Legendary Six Samurai- Enishi, to summon out Lava Golem to your field (Atk:3000). Next, I'll finish off those frenchies with Cyber End Dragon. Go- _Super Strident Blaze.'_ Cyber End Dragon fired the blazing fire at Toy Soldier, melting it (Revolution LP:400-0000).'

'I'll activate Ookazi now. I don't need to explain this- my turn's done with.' Ookazi fired more flames at Mikky and Marcelo, reducing their Life points (Samba LP:1500-700).

Mikky- 'I draw.' 'Oh no- Lava Golem's dripping hot lava onto you.' 'Meaning?' 'During every standby phase you have, you lose 1000 Life points.' Lava Golem then dropped hot Lava onto them, ending the duel (Samba LP:700-0000).

Point of View- Maddy

After the duel, Akiza came down and just shoved the Samba Boyz to the ground. Her, Tee, and Lukas then started speaking. 'We are Black Rose Inc., and we have something to say. On the day of October 31st 2014, Hannah Robinson-Cummings was savagely murdered by an assailant called James Birchall.'

Lukas then took the mic from Akiza. 'Ever since then, the Renegades have been dealing with the grief of the loss of her influence. We are here to help them, because we are one. Birchall, right here, right now, I officially challenge you to a duel in Turku, Finland. Either that or a fist fight.'

Tee took the mic next. 'We don't ask for respect- we demand respect. We will destroy the entire Brave Bones faction one by one. Tick Tock, the clock's running out.' Akiza then took the mic again. 'Mark our words- we will gain revenge for our fallen comrade. We will not rest until the Brave Bones have crumbled, and Don Thousand is back in Barian World, unable to hurt any of us again.'

Powerplay then came out, for their duel. While they came out, Blair turned up behind me. 'And where have you been?' 'Sorry- couldn't get a signal on my phone. I wanted to check how Rio was.' 'And...' 'And she's still recovering- no self-harming so far.' 'Good- I didn't tell anyone because I was hoping she'd stop.' 'We understand Maddy- we completely understand.'

'While you were away, I got possessed.' 'Who by?' 'Whoever possessed you I suspect. I savaged Spica while possessed.' 'Wow- nasty. I like what happened though.' Akiza was about to start her duel with Powerplay, when Dad's music hit, and he came out, in one of Mum's shirts.

'I'm gonna cut to the chase. 1-2 is unfair. And while Akiza could do it by herself, I've run out of things to keep me entertained. So I propose a tag match. Think about all the money you could get if you beat us both- Birchall would be pleased.' "Fine- we accept." 'You sure about this Phil?' 'I've always wanted to team up with you Akiza. Pity it can't be in a more joyful setting, but ah well- nothing we can do about that eh? What do you say Akiza- dream team?' 'Yeah.' Dad then activated his duel disk.

Tag-Team Duel: [11] Akiza Izinski + [15] Phil Robinson-Cummings LP:4000 vs. Powerplay ([105] David Marshall + [106] Da Brooks Kid) LP:4000

Turn 1- Akiza- 'Ladies first. I draw. I summon out Lonefire Blossom (Atk:500). I now activate her ability, tributing her to summon out any Plant I like from my deck. Meet Fallen Angel of Roses (Atk:2400). I end my turn with a face-down.'

Turn 2- Marshall- "I draw man. I summon Grave Squirmer (Def.:0000). I end my turn with 2 face-downs."

Phil- 'I draw. I summon out Z-Metal Tank (Atk:1500). Next, I activate Photon Lead, letting me summon a Level 4 or below Light-attribute monster directly from my hand. I choose X-Head Cannon (Atk:1800). I now banish my Tank and Cannon, to Special summon XZ-Tank Cannon (Atk:2400).'

'I'll play it cautious for now, and activate my Tank Cannon's special ability. It lets me discard one card from my hand to destroy any face-down I like. I choose the one on the left Marshall.' XZ Tank Cannon then shot a blast of electricity out of it's cannons, destroying the face-down (Invisible Wire). 'I end my turn.'

Brooks- "My turn. I summon out Shadowknight Archfiend (Atk:2000). Next, I activate the Field Spell Pandemonium.' The field then changed to look like a Graveyard with green vines growing in it. 'Because of this, we don't have to pay Life points during our Standby Phases to keep Archfiend monsters out on the field."

"I now tribute my Shadowknight to summon out Archfiend of Gilfer (Def.:2500). I end my turn with 2 face-downs of my own."

Akiza- 'I draw. I activate the ability of XZ Tank Cannon, letting me discard 3 cards to destroy 3 face-downs. Say goodbye to all of your protection.' XZ Tank Cannon then fired 3 blasts of electricity out of it's cannons, zapping the 3 face-downs (Makiu, the Magical Mist, Archfiend's Roar, and Battle-Scarred), destroying them all.

'With that done, I activate my face-down- Nightmare Thorns. This lets me destroy any card I like on the field, because I have a Plant-type monster on my side of the field, and you don't. Say goodbye to Grave Squirmer.' Nightmare Thorns then activated, and thorns shot out of a rose, destroying Grave Squirmer.

'With that done, I summon out Evil Thorn (Atk:100). Next, I activate it's ability, letting me tribute it to deal you 300 points of damage, and summon out 2 more Evil Thorns. They can't use their abilities until next turn though.' Evil Thorn then popped, and fired out thorns at Powerplay, before two more Evil Thorns sprouted (Powerplay LP:4000-3700, Evil Thorn Def.:300)x2.

'I'll end my turn with that move.' 'Good job Akiza.' 'Cheers captain.' 'No worries.'

Marshall- "I draw. I summon out Mad Archfiend (Atk:1800). I now tribute both of our monsters to summon out Imprisoned Queen Archfiend (Atk:2600). Imprisoned Queen Archfiend, attack XZ Tank Cannon." Imprisoned Queen Archfiend screeched, before tearing at XZ Tank Cannon with it's nails, destroying it (Phil and Akiza LP:4000-3800).

"I end my turn."

Phil- 'I draw. I activate 5 Card Salute. This lets me draw until my hand contains 5 cards. I now activate Card of Demise, allowing me to draw another 5 cards as long as I ditch my entire hand in 5 turns. I now activate Frontline Base, letting me summon out V-Tiger Jet (Atk:1600). I now activate another Frontline Base, letting me summon out W-Wing Catapult (Atk:1300). I now activate Dimension Fusion, allowing me to summon out my banished monsters- Z-Metal Tank, and X-Head Cannon (Metal Tank Atk:1500, Head Cannon Atk:1800).'

'I now summon out Y-Dragon Head (Atk:1500). Next, I banish my X-Head Cannon, Y-Dragon Head, and Z-Metal Tank, to summon out XYZ Dragon Cannon (Atk:2800). I also banish my W-Wing Catapult and V-Tiger Jet to summon out VW-Tiger Catapult (Atk:2000).' 'Good job Phil.'

'Yeah- I know. I'll now banish my XYZ Dragon Cannon and VW-Tiger Catapult, to summon out VWXYZ Dragon Catapult Cannon (Atk:3000). I now activate Quick Attack, allowing my monster to attack this turn. I also activate Limiter Removal, doubling the Attack power of my monster (Atk:3000-6000).'

'I now activate the abilities of the two Evil Thorns, tributing them to inflict 600 points of damage.' The two Evil Thorns popped simultaneously, firing more thorns (Powerplay LP:3700-3100). Now Dragon Catapult Cannon, finish this off.' Dragon Catapult Cannon shot at Imprisoned Queen Archfiend using it's big cannon, destroying it (Powerplay LP:3100-0000).

After the duel, Birchall came straight out for his duel, and he locked eyes with Akiza. Dad then went to attack him, but was ambushed by Vector, who held him back. Birchall then went to attack him, but was pushed to the ground by an on-rushing Lukas, who then hit Birchall in the face, before the three of them came back up.

'You ok Dad? You seemed very uncomfortable in that duel.' 'It's just my back playing up again.' 'I'm not surprised after that duel with Mizar. That was brutal.' 'I've just got to concentrate on tomorrow.' Dad then walked off. 'What's up with him?' 'He's doing everything possible not to grieve. He's scared.'

'Scared?' 'Yeah. I can read him like a book- he's scared. He's a broken man, desperately trying to keep together what's left of his life. He doesn't want to stop, because it will destroy him, more than any weapon ever could. Maybe the enemy isn't just Birchall, but himself as well.'

Kalin then came out, to no reaction whatsoever. "The following is your main event. Introducing first, representing the Brave Bones, from Parts Unknown, he is the Renegade Killa- Birchall." Birchall's new music then played, which was the Brave Bones music, except Mum's scream from when she was shot opened it.

"And introducing his opponent, from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, he is 2K- Kalin Kessler." Kalin just took his sunglasses off, and stared up at us, before getting his duel disk out, and waiting for Birchall to do that, which he did. The duel then began, with Blair hugging me.

Legend vs. Renegade Killa: [24] Birchall LP:4000 vs. [26] Kalin Kessler

Turn 1- Kalin- 'I draw. I summon out Armageddon Knight (Atk:1400). I now activate it's ability, letting me send a card from my deck to my graveyard. Next, I banish Stygian Street Patrol from my graveyard to special summon Stygian Security (Atk:100). I now activate Quick Summon, allowing me to summon Tuningware (Atk:100).'

'I now activate Tuningware's ability, letting me treat it as a Level 2 monster for a Synchro summon. I tune Level 1 Stygian Security with Level 2 Tuningware and Level 4 Armageddon Knight to Synchro summon Dark Highlander (Atk:2800). I end my turn with a face-down.'

Dad then came back. 'Strong start from Kalin.' 'Where did you go?' 'I was just having a little chat with the organiser. Akiza, mount up- you've got another duel tonight.' 'I'm listening.' 'You're facing the winner of Nash and Vector for their belt tonight.' 'Cheers Phil.' 'No worries- Icaron Force does the trick every time.'

Birchall- "I draw. Time to test out my new deck. I summon Snow Dragon (Atk:1400)." 'Is this a joke? That is a pathetic deck.' "I got it from Hannah. Ding Dong the witch is dead, eh Brady?" 'Ignore him Dad.' 'Is that what you told yourself when you threatened to shoot him? Sorry- I shouldn't have spoken to you like that Mads- you're looking out for me.'

"I now activate Level Doubler, making it's Level 8. I also activate Overlay Satellite, allowing me to use it as two Level 8 monsters for an Xyz summon. I now overlay my two Level 8 monsters, to build the overlay network." He then put on a wig to make himself look more like Mum. "I summon out Number 5- my heart, Northern Lights Dolphin (Atk:3000)."

'Give that back.' "Finders keepers. How's her sex life anyway? Oh wait- I wouldn't know, because you stole her from me Brady. And now I've killed her, your little wild animal is next. She's just waiting to be put down, and that day is coming." Don Pope then came up behind me, but I just kicked him in the nuts from behind, and Dad then started bludgeoning him with the case to his Chaos deck, leaving him a bloody mess.

"I'll activate my Dolphin's ability. By detaching an overlay unit, I can select any card I like from my deck, and put it in my hand. I'll now activate that card- Rank-up Magic Brave Evolution. This ranks up my monster into a Chaos Xyz monster. Go- Chaos Xyz Evolution. I summon out Chaos Number 5- Northern Lights Storm Dolphin (Atk:3600)."

"I now activate my monster's ability. By detaching one Chaos Overlay Unit, I can select a monster on your field, and half it's Attack and Defence points until the end of your next turn." Storm Dolphin turned around, and unleashed a tidal wave from it's mouth, which was powered up by stormy winds, crippling Dark Highlander (Atk:2800-1400).

"With that done, I'll attack your monster. By the way, I know it's irrelevant, but a monster summoned with Brave Evolution can't be destroyed in battle. Go- _Stormy Night Surge!" _Number C5 then shot another tidal wave at Dark Highlander, this one tainted with darkness, destroying Dark Highlander, and sucking life out of Kalin, who just dropped straight to the ground (Kalin LP:4000-1800).

"I'll end my turn. During the end phase of my turn, I can recover the used overlay units of Number C5 by paying 300 Life points for each one. I choose to pay 600 Life points to recover the one used by Number 5 earlier in the turn as well (Birchall LP:4000-3400, Overlay Units:1-3)."

Kalin- 'My... turn! I summon out Infernity Guardian (Def.:1700). I throw down a face-down now, and end my turn.'

Birchall- "My turn." 'I activate Fiendish Chain. This stops your Dolphin from changing battle position, attacking, or activating any of it's abilities.' "I summon Mermail Abysspike (Atk:1600). I now activate it's ability, letting me discard a Water-attribute monster to add another one to my hand."

"I now activate the ability of my Mermail Abyssdine. Because she was added from my deck to my hand by a card effect, she can come out to the field (Atk:1000). I now overlay my two Level 3 Mermails to build the overlay network, and summon out Mermail Abysstrite (Atk:1600). I now activate Shield and Sword, swapping the Attack and Defence of our monsters for the rest of the turn (Number C5 Atk:3600-100, Abysstrite Atk:1600-2800, Guardian Def.:1700-1200)."

"Abysstrite, destroy Guardian." 'Sorry Birchall, but Guardian can't be destroyed in battle if my hand's empty.' Abysstrite then used her want to create a blast of water, but it was just absorbed by Guardian. "I end my turn. (Number C5 Atk:100-3600, Abysstrite Atk:2800-1600, Guardian Def.:1200-1700)."

Kalin- 'Draw! I end my turn with another face-down.'

Birchall- "My turn. Playtime's over Kalin, because I activate Mystical Space Typhoon. This destroys Fiendish Chain. And with that, I can now attack you at will. Your monster's abilities are all negated when Storm Dolphin attacks you, and if it's up against a monster in Defence mode, it deals piercing damage. So I think that I'll attack it."

Storm Dolphin unleashed another tidal wave, which bulldozed straight through Guardian, and seemed to suck all the life out of Kalin, who just dropped to the ground, back-first (Kalin LP:1800-0000). After the duel, Birchall picked Kalin up, and took his wig off, before piledriving him onto the concrete floor. He then posed over Kalin.

'You know what-' 'I've had enough of this.' Lukas then jumped out of the crowd, and him and Birchall went at it with each other. Birchall started to get the upper hand, and went to boot Lukas in the head, but Lukas dodged, and gave Birchall a thumb to the eye, before tripping him with a leg sweep.

He then started beating down on Birchall, until Birchall squirmed out of the way. 'You absolute coward! Come back and fight me! Or maybe Rhydian's just that bit more of a man than you are- he'd fight me now.' "Don't ever compare me to him. It might just be the last mistake that you ever make."

'Come on everyone- let's sing.' The whole crowd then started chanting "Birchall is a coward", really irritating him. "You wanna take me on in shitty Finland? You got what you wanted!" 'Good- you're still a pussy though- just a tiny knob on a stick.' Birchall then retreated while staring Lukas down, and Lukas was grinning sadistically.

'That was ballsy Lukas.' 'I needed that. Trust me- in Turku, I'll get Hannah's deck back where it belongs- with you two Phil.' 'Cheers mate.' 'It's a matter of respect. I'm doing this for us.' Me and Lukas then left together, because I knew something wasn't quite making sense.

'Why did you really do that?' 'The comment about putting you down lit a fire in me that I've never felt before. I wanna prove to your Dad that I can keep you safe- stop anyone from hurting you. I'm pumped for it, my blood's boiling, I'm ready for him. I will never let harm come to you Maddy, whether we're together or not, because you're our leader- you are the one who has been chosen to lead this club into a brighter future.'

'Cheers Lukas. I need to repay you somehow.' 'The only payment I accept is acceptance- I want your Dad to know that I'm the good guy- he can trust me to deliver the goods. When I get that deck back, we'll see if I can really be accepted.' 'Who your Dad is doesn't make you who you are.' 'I know, but I can't get it out of my head that my Dad is trying to kill my girlfriend's entire race.'

Rhydian then came up towards us. "Isn't this sweet- young love. Makes me sick." 'I thought Security would be a bit tougher here.' "They are- I was just faster. Listen- I'm working for Segolia as a double-agent." 'Of course you are.' "Seriously- my priority is saving our race. Once I've saved our race, then me and Phil can settle our differences."

'Are you sure that it's a good idea?' "Yeah- they don't have a clue that I'm a double-agent. I'm messing up all their formulas though." 'She was talking about settling your differences with Phil. In case you've not heard, he's quite... well, unpredictable these days. And you're hardly the person who he'd want to have a chat with. A fight yes, but a chat, no.'

"Just make sure you beat Birchall in Finland." 'Why? I thought you were supposed to be best buds.' "Yeah, well I inserted a little thing into his contract. The moment he loses to anyone, I get sole control of the Brave Bones. Me and James have very different methods of doing stuff. For starters, I wouldn't have killed Hannah."

'You found it funny enough.' "Yeah- funny that Birchall thinks he killed her himself." 'What's your version then? Did she commit suicide?' "Yeah- she committed suicide because her and Phil are wanted by the police in Britain for kidnapping Maddy without her parents consent."

'You know full well that they can't be convicted for that.' "Why? Do they have some sort of divine right?" 'No- the day before the "kidnapping", I'd told Mam and Dad that I was going to live in Manchester with Phil. They had no right to stop me- I was 17, which is over the legal age when I can move out. I'd packed my bags and everything. That's what the argument with Shan was about- she was trying to convince me not to move out of the area. She doesn't know how controlling they were- locking me up whenever the moon was out.'

"You could have explained." 'All she was listening to was the voice of science- everything can be solved using it. She was as bad as Segolia- trying to find "a cure" for "my affliction". She wouldn't let us explain, nobody would. And Phil knew about the secret anyway- he knew when he first met me, and he treated me no different- he cared because of who I was, not what I am.'

"How sweet." 'Go away before I puncture your lungs with my fangs and throw your body into the nearest rubbish tip.' "You're nasty." 'I'm feral- everyone wants to treat me like a dangerous animal, then I'll be a wild, feral animal. And a sexy one at that.' "Who are you?" 'I'm Maddy Robinson-Cummings- the Dark Wolf, the anti-christ of the duelling world, the saviour of a species.'

"Saviour?" 'Yeah- I'm the saviour of our species. When the 10 bells toll, I will be the last one standing, the one true saviour of us all- it's my destiny. Just ask Ceri if you want more details.' "You've spoken to my Mum?" 'Yeah- you deserted her, just like you deserted all of us when you joined up with Segolia and with the Brave Bones. You don't deserve to be a wolfblood- you're not worthy of the gift.'

A familiar voice then piped up. 'I said.' We looked around, and Jade was stood right behind us. "And who are you?" 'The name's Jade.' She then flashed her eyes at him. "You're a wolfblood." 'Yeah- I'm one of Maddy's kind- the kind that actually care about the species. She is our saviour, whether you like it or not- that's what I've believed since the day I was born 16½ years ago.'

"You're all wrong- Maddy's no more than a little slut." 'You were due to get married to that little slut Rhydian. What does that say about you? That you were dumped by a slut. I'll tell you something Rhydian, and I'm an Aussie, so I'll make it real clear- there is low people in humanity. Then there is the lowest of the low, then there's you, and just below you, your little boyfriend Birchall. So never badmouth my girlfriend again, otherwise I'll be tossing you on the barbie, squirting you with lighter fluid, and then standing well back, watching you die.'

After that, Rhydian had a staredown with Lukas, before running away. "This isn't over!" 'Good- I wouldn't want it to be. Good job Jade.' 'Cheers. You must be Maddy's other half then?' 'Yeah- the name's Lukas Chipperfield. I'm from Tasmania in Australia.' 'What- as in the Tasmanian devil?' 'Yeah- they're pretty rare though. You must be Jade with the completely unpronounceable surname, no offence by the way.'

'Aww, none taken. I'm of Azerbijani decent, so my name was always gonna be complicated to pronounce. I was a childhood friend of Rio's.' 'Yeah- I'm hoping she gets better. She's a lovely girl, so much spark and joy in her.' 'Yeah- she was always a very quiet person, apart from when Reginald annoyed her, which was quite regularly.'

'I remember that Maddy didn't get on with Rio when she first came.' 'How would you know about that Lukas- you weren't even in the club at the time.' 'Your Dad told me Maddy. Apparently it was a problem on both sides- you were over-protective of the club, and Rio was talking herself into trouble quite a bit.'

'Yeah- we learned to quite like each other. We're both high-ranking members of the club, and Rio's saved my skin on a couple of occasions.' 'Oh yeah Jade- aren't you the girl that Maddy hypnotised in the middle of the woods?' 'Yeah- I did ask her to though. How did you join?'

'You know the doctor treating Rio?' 'Yeah.' 'She's Akiza- former duelling World champ. She hand-picked me to join the Renegades, and then she formed Black Rose Inc., which I am a part of. You might be interested in the stuff I know about Segolia.'

'You know stuff about Segolia eh?' 'Yeah- for starters, the head of it all seems to be Alexander Kincade.' 'I've heard that name before- he's a bye-word for trouble where I come from.' 'He's my Dad.' 'You're joking.' 'Does this look like a face that's joking?' 'Lukas, it's an expression.'

Lukas then left, and as me and Jade were walking by in the other direction, Jade asked me something. 'Isn't that your Dad?' I looked over, and Dad was there, and he seemed to have some sort of scratch on his face. 'What are you doing here?' 'I hate myself for losing her so easily- making her commit suicide.' He then walked off, and we heard Nash's music hitting as he came out for the main event.

When we got back to the seating, Nash had already come out, in his human form surprisingly. "The following is your main event here in Malmo, and is a No Holds Barred duel for the Challenger Championship. Introducing first, the challenger, from Twin Falls, Idaho, he is the challenger- Nash."

Nash came out, and came towards us. 'Where's Phil?' 'Backstage.' 'Tell him that Rio's really in need of a good friend right now- someone who's not me.' 'Why not you?' 'She doesn't trust me after what I've put her through.' 'I'll tell him when he comes back. By the way, here's Number 32 back.'

'I'm well aware of our deal- I give you Number 32 back after the duel. And none off you try and come up with some sort of sneaky plan to take the title off of me when I win. By the way, she's coming.' 'Who's coming?' 'The queen of the blizzard is coming back.' He then walked off, waiting for Vector.

Vector then came out, holding his neck after earlier. 'And his opponent, from Barian World, he is your Challenger Champion- Vector.' Vector walked down to the duelling zone, and Dad feigned an attack as he was coming back. When he got to the duelling zone, he battlemorphed, and activated his duel disk, and Nash followed suit. "Ready to get schooled Nash?" 'Please- spare me the lies.' They then began the duel with Dad watching on from one of the entrances.

Challenger Belt: (c) [87] Vector vs. [96] Nash

Turn 1- Nash- 'I draw. I activate Rank-up Magic the Seventh One. This lets me summon Number 101- Silent Honor Ark (Atk:2100). Next, I can rank it up. Go- Chaos Xyz Evolution! I summon out Chaos Number 101- Silent Honor Dark (Atk:2800). I end my turn with 2 face-down cards. Your go Vector.'

Turn 2- Vector- "It's my turn. I activate the field spell Chaos Field." The whole field then changed to look like Barian World. "Now with this, once per turn, I can detach one Chaos Overlay Unit from a Number C on my field to summon out a random Number from your deck Nash."

'That's all well and good- if you had any Chaos Numbers out on your field.' "I'm just getting to that. I activate Rank-up Magic the Seventh One. This lets me summon Number 104- Masquerade (Atk:2700). Next, I can rank it up. Go- Chaos Xyz Evolution! I summon out Chaos Number 104- Umbral Horror Masquerade (Atk:3000)."

"I now activate the ability of the Umbral Horror Magician in my hand. By discarding it, it can become another Chaos Overlay Unit for Chaos Number 104. I now activate Chaos Field's effect, detaching one Chaos Overlay Unit to summon out a random Number that you possess."

A card then flew out of Nash's deck towards Vector, who just grabbed it with ease. 'Not bad. I summon Number 17- Leviathan Dragon (Atk:2000). I think I'll also use the other effect of Chaos Field to rank it up. Go- Chaos Xyz Evolution! Meet Chaos Number 17- Leviathan Death Dragon (Atk:2000)."

"I'm not done though- oh no. I detach the Chaos Overlay Unit from Chaos Number 17 to summon out another card from your deck." Another card flew towards Vector, with Nash unsuccessfully trying to catch it as it flew past. "That will absolutely do. I summon Number 94- Crystalzero (Atk:2200)."

"I'll rank her up now- fuse one of your sister's cards with my chaos. Go- Chaos Xyz Evolution! I summon Chaos Number 94- Crystalsubzero (Atk:2400). I now activate Chaos Field again, letting me detach Number C94's overlay unit to summon out yet another one of your monsters."

'Has this not gone far enough?' "It's not far enough until I have destroyed you. I summon out Number 73- Abyss Splash (Atk:2400). Next, I can rank him up as well. Go- Chaos Xyz Evolution! I summon out Chaos Number 73- Abyss Supra Splash (Atk:3000). Now I'll finish you off once and for all Nash."

'You wanna bet?' "Yeah- why not. I'll attack you with Abyss Supra Splash first. Oh, and by the way, when Abyss Supra Splash attacks, it can detach one Chaos Overlay Unit to increase it's Attack points by those of your monster (Atk:3000-5800). Abyss Supra Splash, attack him!"

Supra Splash then charged in for an attack, but Nash was ready to counter. 'I activate Zeus' Breath. This negates your attack, and then deals you with 800 points of damage, because I have a Water-attribute monster on my field.' Zeus' Breath then broke the attack up with a wave of water, before crashing into Vector (Vector LP:4000-3200).

"No matter- Umbral Horror Masquerade will take your monster down." 'I activate my other face-down- Trick Buster. This destroys all of your Xyz monsters and deals you with 300 points of damage for each one.' Trick Buster then created a shield in front of Nash, deflecting Umbral Horror Masquerade's attack back at all of Vector's monsters, destroying each one (Vector LP:3200-2000).

'Akiza, get ready.' 'Understood.' "I end my turn with a face-down."

Nash- "I draw. I activate Barian Veil. By paying 1000 Life points, this veil surrounds Silent Honor Dark, making it immune to your Spells and Traps (Nash LP:4000-3000). Now Silent Honor Dark, finish this off!' Number C101 shot darkness out of it's staff, blowing Vector away (Vector LP:2000-0000).

After the duel, Nash handed Number 32 back to Dad, before taking his title. "Your winner, and new" 'Sorry to interrupt Nash, but there's one last bit of our deal that we've not been through yet- you didn't read the small print.' 'Go on.' 'Your night isn't over yet Nash- you have a challenger. You see, according to the head office of the WDC, you were not the Number 1 Contender. Introducing your opponent, and the challenger, from Tacoma, Washington, she is the Black Rose- Akiza Izinski!'

'I thought we had a deal Maddy.' 'Is this true?' 'Nash, consider our deal null and void- terminated.' Akiza grabbed her deck, and walked down to the duelling zone. She then activated her duel disk, and her left eye glowed red.

Challenger Belt: (c) [96] Nash LP:2000 vs. [11] Akiza Izinski LP:4000

Turn 1- Akiza- 'I draw. I summon Twilight Rose Knight (Atk:1000). I now activate his ability, letting me bring Lord Poison out as well (Atk:1600). I now tune my two monsters together to create the Black Rose Dragon (Atk:2400). I now activate her ability, destroying every single card on the field because she was Synchro Summoned successfully. Go- _Black Rose Gale!' _

Black Rose Dragon then whipped up a massive hurricane, which left Nash hunkering down to avoid being blown away, while all his other monsters were destroyed, along with Akiza's Dragon. 'You have no protection again now though.' 'You wish. You see, I'm a Renegade- we always think 100 steps ahead of you stupid Barians.'

'Take that back.' 'Why should I when I can activate Rank-up Magic Renegades Unite? This lets me summon out any Xyz monster I like from my extra deck.' Her face then contorted, and the number 112 appeared on her forehead. 'I summon out Number 112- Cursed Rose Dragon (Atk:2400).'

'Next, I can rank it up. Go- Chaos Xyz Evolution! I summon out Chaos Number 112- Cursed Dragon of the Black Rose (Atk:2600). Number C112, attack Nash directly with _Cursed Rose Tear.' _Cursed Dragon of the Black Rose then shed a teardrop, which created a hurricane of leaves, which slashed Nash repeatedly, ending the duel (Nash LP:2000-0000).

After the duel, Ashley (the one who Kelly recruited) came up behind Akiza with a baseball bat. She feigned hitting Akiza with it, before grabbing the title belt, and handing it to Akiza. Kelly and Taylor then appeared behind us. 'Hello strangers.' 'Hi, did you hear about Mum?' 'Yeah- we know everything.' 'Taylor, watch what you say.' 'Sorry Kel- didn't know I'd said something wrong.'

'You know what I know.' 'Oh yeah, sorry.' 'What's this that you know?' 'Not allowed to tell you.' 'Why?' 'National security. It's about Immigration.' 'Why were you told, no offence.' 'None taken- I'm not sure why we were told myself. They wouldn't let us get a word in, and believe you me- Taylor can talk.'

Akiza lifted the title into the air, before putting it on her shoulder. Her and Ashley then hugged, and we all left for the hotel that we were booked into for overnight, because the main tournament was tomorrow morning.

'How've you been Ashley?' 'Good thanks- I had a few commitments to attend to, but I'm back and ready to serve my master.' 'We heard about Maddy taking over- Akiza texted me and Taylor when she found out. It's great to see you all again.' 'So Kelly, are you staying around this time?'

'Yeah- my schedule's pretty clear until next summer now, so I... sorry- me, Taylor, and Ashley were wondering if we'd be allowed to move into the base.' 'Yeah- I'd love you all to move in. Ashley, we'll get your I.D. done when we get back to Britain.' 'Great. Who's staying with who then in the hotel?'

'I'm in a room with Lukas. Dad and Blair are together, Astrid and Akiza are going to be sharing a room, as are Belle and Isabella. Luckily Akiza insisted on booking an extra room, so there's room for you three.' 'Great.' 'I've never room-shared with you before Phil. Try to ignore the snoring from me, can't help it.' 'Believe me- you're the one who needs help tonight with me.'

When we got to the hotel, I hung back to speak to Akiza. 'Great win Akiza- you made us proud. And you finally used your primal number.' 'Thanks for getting me a title shot.' 'I didn't- it was Blair's idea to cheer Dad up. Just promise me that Lukas will get Mum's deck back.' 'I can't promise- he didn't discuss it with me. I trust him though- if he says he's going to take Birchall out, he'll go through hell to do it.' I then left for the hotel, with Akiza slowly following me.

Point of View- Blair

That night, while I was trying to sleep, I heard a strange noise, almost like snivelling. I tried to ignore it, but 20 minutes later, I couldn't take it anymore, so I went to the door, and the noise seemed to have reduced. But when I walked back towards my bed, the noise got louder.

I then went to wake Phil up to find out if he heard it, but the closer I got to his bed, the louder it got. 'Phil, is that noise you?' 'I... I don't understand.' 'What don't you understand?' 'Why- why I made her do that. What did I do to make her commit suicide?' 'What- she didn't commit suicide.'

'She did, and it was all my fault- no-one else's. I just watched her jump out of that window- she wanted to die. She refused to be saved because she wanted to get away from life with me.' I then hugged him. 'Don't listen to what Rhydian says- Rhydian is a nobody. Not like you- you are a born champion. You are the creator of the Renegades, the very first one, the start of the empire. Most of all though, you are an amazing cousin. Your biggest problem is that you don't know when to ask for help.'

He then turned over, and when I saw the tears in his eyes, I just had to give him a big hug to try and calm him down a bit. 'Blair, I need help- I really do.' 'We'll get you that help then- whatever it takes, we will get you that help. And we... no- I will do it all my way.' I then kissed him on the cheek (in a friendly way), and waited until he got back to sleep again, before going back to bed myself (sleep was impossible though, worrying about him too much). So I decided to update my diary with the latest developments.

**Will Phil's mood improve? What does Blair mean by "her way"? And who will try to end it all in Renegades: A New Dawn Chapter V- Krumbling Kastles**


	5. Krumbling Kastles

Renegades: A New Dawn

Chapter V- Krumbling Kastles

Point of View- Maddy

We were all up early the next morning ahead of the tournament in Malmo. Blair looked like a zombie though (I'd guessed that she hadn't slept very well). 'You get any sleep Blair? It's just that you look like a zombie.' 'Oh, cheers. I didn'tt sleep very well at all.' 'How many hours sleep did you get?' 'About 45 minutes all in all- possiblu slightly less than that.'

'Sorry to hear that.' 'Just between you and me Maddy, it was your Dad- he got really upset over what Rhydian said yesterday. I didn't want to go to sleep with him still crying, so I sat by his bed until he fell asleep. He needs help.' 'He's not the only one.' 'What do you mean?' 'I think I might need help Blair.'

'As in mental help?' 'Yeah- I'm not too big to avoid asking for help Blair. I can't talk to Dad about it though, because I need to be the strong one for him- he'd known Hannah so much longer than I had.' 'Doesn't mean you're not entitled to be upset about it. If you need help, talk to your Dad about it- he'll understand, I promise you.' 'Cheers Blair.' 'No worries. Just remember that you've got a friend Maddy- you've always got me. And believe me- nobody's going to crap on us with me around.'

When we got out of the hotel, we met up with Jodi. 'Where did you sleep last night?' 'Jade had booked herself into the wrong hotel, so I decided to stay with her overnight- she's not used to being out of America. She's not exactly well travelled- neither am I if I'm honest.' 'Yeah- I'm not either.'

When we got to the stadium, Astrid undid her plait, and let her hair down. 'Good to have you on board Astrid.' 'Good to be on board Maddy. Or should I say boss?' 'I'm just the Interim President of the Renegades. You respond to me on club matters. If you want a meeting, you arrange it with Jodi first. Outside of club duty, Dad's your master- he's the one who convinced me to bring you in. Well him and Blair if I'm being honest.'

'Nice. Any rules I need to know?' 'I'll give you an official copy of the Renegades Law when you get your I.D. Until then, we won't take action against you for anything you do wrong until then unless it's against the actual law.' 'Are Kelly and Taylor actual club members?' 'They will be now. They weren't previously because they were on tour a lot, but they've been associated with us for months.'

'How old are you anyway Maddy?' '18 years, 3 months, 14 days. How about you?' '18 years, 3 months, 14 days. Born at midday.' 'I'm older than you- by 3 minutes.' 'Have you heard of the Strongman competitor Bjorn Andre Solvang?' 'No, but Dad watches WSM all the time- why?' 'He's my older brother. And Claude's my cousin. Where is Claude anyway?' 'He's in Denmark I think. He's annoyed that Dad's grieving over Mum's death.'

'Claude's never been much good at understanding emotions. Did he disclose his criminal past?' 'No.' 'It was 4 years ago, when he was 20- he was convicted of Identity Theft. He stole the identity of the head of a massive Bank in Norway.' 'Thanks for that- I'll have to talk to him about that.'

'Anyone else in the club with a conviction?' 'Yeah- Dad's been convicted once or twice for Assault, and Belle was convicted last year for Manslaughter.' 'What happened?' 'The story was that she'd been to a party with her friend Gemma one night. They had an argument while walking home from the party about a boy, and Gemma pushed Belle. Belle pushed Gemma back, and she slipped down an enbankmant, hitting her head on a rock. She insisted she was fine, but she died later that night.'

'How's she out of jail then?' 'We made her a little deal- if she joined, we'd get her out of prison. And she agreed- we disguised a couple of our agents as Prison Officers.' 'Cool. Any idea who I'm facing? I couldn't check the draw yesterday because I've not got a phone with me, and the battery on my Laptop's dead.'

'You're up against Birchall.' 'I'm ready for him.' 'Don't worry- we'll be watching the duel, and we won't let him do to you what he did to Kalin.' 'Why didn't you try and save Kalin?' 'Not our concern- we look out for ourselves, not everyone else. It's the way we work.' 'I like it- I really do.'

Dad then came over. 'Hi Dad.' 'Hi. Come here Astrid- I'll sort your hair out.' 'Ok, thanks.' 'Any particular way?' 'Any way you see fit- I trust in you Master.' 'Good.' 'By the way, have you heard of Bjorn Andre Solvang?' 'Yeah- great Strongman competitor. You know him?' 'He's my brother.' 'Along with Dragan?' 'He's my half-brother. Same Dad, different Mum. When Dad found out what he did to Hannah, Dragan was thrown out straight away. They've not spoken since.'

'Are you really Norwiegen?' 'Yeah- I'm not actually from Svalbard though. I live there, but I'm actually from the village of Berk, about 60 miles away. Dragan came to live with me after Dad kicked him out, but I evicted him after 4 days because he showed no remorse for what happened with Hannah. The only reason I hung around with him was for extra protection.'

'You've got a very interesting story Astrid.' 'Yeah- sorry about that. I can really talk when I want to.' 'I'd guessed that. Astrid, your hair's done.' 'Thanks- it's really nice.' 'No worries.' Dad then turned Astrid around, and put her back in a trance. 'Astrid, you will obey my every command. You will fight for us, in the name of us, you will do this with no mind- you are our mindless fighter, with no free will anymore.' 'Yes master- I am mindless.'

He then woke her up from her trance, and her eyes glowed bright red. 'Master, I am at your command. Manipulate me in any way you see fit.' 'I will do Astrid. Pain is your friend now, you are evil.' 'I am evil because it is what you desire master.' 'Good- I like that. I've got to go- Blair wants to speak to me ' 'Ok, see you later Dad.' 'See ya Maddy.'

Point of View- Blair

Phil got to me surprisingly quickly. 'What's up Blair?' 'I've just an email from College addressed to you.' 'Why are you reading my emails?' 'I was looking for the base's address so I could tell Astrid. Anyway, it says that Maddy's not been to college in 3 weeks.' 'What?' 'It says that she has not attended in 3 weeks, and the College principle wants a meeting with you to discuss it.'

He then got his phone out. 'What are you doing?' 'I want to speak to Maddy about this. I won't say anything about you reading my emails- promise.' 'Thanks. Should I go?' 'Please- this is best between just me and Maddy.' 'Ok, see you in the gateway?' 'Yeah- I'm back as your manager again.' 'Great.'

Point of View- Phil

When Maddy came, she looked flustered. 'What's up Dad? The text sounded pretty cross.' 'Maddy, this is what's up.' I then showed her the email, and she just hung her head in shame. 'Explanation please.' 'Sorry Dad, I know I shouldn't have lied. I just couldn't take the questions and the sympathy and the being treated diifferently.'

I then hugged her. 'I'm not ashamed in you as much as concerned about you Maddy. I'm not shouting and hollering at you, I'm just having a talk with you. Come on- if you've got something on your mind, you can tell me.' 'Blair told me about you last night. How long have you cried in bed for?'

'To tell you the truth, every single day that she's been gone. Same time every night- 2:31am.' 'Dad, I think I need mental help- please, help me.' 'I'll get you the help that you need. We're in this together Maddy, and I'm sorry for being so wrapped up in my own problems.' 'I understand Dad. Sorry I let you down.' 'Maddy, I'll forgive you. But I've gt to go in next week for a meeting with the Principle, so I'll explain it all to her.' 'Thanks Dad.' 'I love you Maddy- you make me so proud, day after day, seeing how much you've grown up.'

I then went off to find Blair for her duel. On the way down though, Akiza collered me. 'Phil, I wanted to ask you something.' 'Go on.' 'Would Rio be able to stay with you tomorrow as a day release from hospital?' 'Against my better instincts, yes. She needs us, and we sure as hell need her.'

I then got to Blair. 'You're late.' 'Sorry- blame Akiza. How do you fancy having a friend over tomorrow?' 'Yeah- great. Anyone I particular?' 'Rio Kastle?' She just gave me a massive hug. 'You mean it?' 'Yeah- day release from hospital. I agreed against my instincts.' 'Thank you. I know it was a hard decision, but you won't regret it.' 'I hope I don't. Anyway, let's go.'

Point of View- Jodi

Blair's music played first, as she came out, with Phil. "The following is a Round 1 match-up. Introducing first, representing the Renegades, from Shelby, Michigan, she is the Rough Diamond- Blair Flannigan." Blair came out with Phil, who just stopped in the entranceway. Blair didn't do her usual entrance, preferring to just walk straight down. When she got to the duelling zone, she activated her duel disk, and then threw her jacket to Phil.

Claude then came out, to new, army-themed music. "Introducing her opponent, from Sanford, North Carolina, he is the Hunter- Claude Duane." Claude came out, with much shorter hair, and a tattoo on his face. When he got to the duelling zone, he activated his duel disk, and took off his grand red jacket.

Malmo Round 1: [1] Blair Flannigan LP:4000 vs. [21] Claude Duane LP:4000

Turn 1- Blair- 'I draw. I summon out Gem-Knight Garnet (Atk:1900). I'll end my turn with a face-down.'

Turn 2- Claude- "My turn. I activate Instant Fusion, letting me summon a Fusion monster without Fusion summoning it. I summon out Pragtical (Atk:1900). I now summon Jurrac Dino (Atk:1700). I now tribute both Dino and Pragtical to summon out Jurrac Spinos (Atk:2600). I now activate Jurassic Blast, letting me destroy your face-down Blair."

Jurassic Blast then fired spines at Blair's face-down (Gem Shield), destroying it. "With that done, I'll attack your Garnet with Spinos. Go- _Spine Shower!" _Spinos shot spines out of it's back at Garnet, destroying it, and dealing damage (Blair LP:4000-3300). 'I activate the ability of Spinos. Because Spinos destroyed your monster in battle, I can give you a Spinos Token (Atk:300). I end my turn with a face-down."

Blair- 'I draw.' She then looked over at Phil, who just nodded. 'I activate Rank-up Magic Renegades Unite!' "Lucky draw." 'Yeah- it was. I summon Number 9- Dyson Sphere (Atk:2800). Next, I will send damage to you- 200 points for each of Dyson Sphere's ranks. That's 9, so say goodbye to those Life points.'

Renegades Unite fired a beam of light at Claude, blasting his Life points (Claude LP:4000-2200). "Nice pet project Phil. You stopped that insane sobbing yet?' Phil didn't reply, but took his sunglasses off, and stared Lukas down. This really lit a fire though... in Blair. She started glowing black.

'Maddy, what's going on?' 'It's called Advanced Transformation. It's something Blair developed after injecting herself with Rio's Barian DNA.' 'How powerful is it?' 'I don't know- ask Phil. He usually knows. Where's Belle anyway?' 'I don't actually know to be honest with you- she was with us when we came in.'

"What are you doing?" 'Commence Advanced Transformation!' Blair then changed forms, and a black, wing-like tattoo grew below her left eye. Her Primal Mark also started throbbing. 'You are a disgrace to the club Claude.' "Maybe I'm fed-up of bad leadership. Phil can't run a party, never mind the Renegades."

'Has nobody told you? Phil's not in charge.' "Who is then?" 'Maddy is.' "That's more like it." 'Still gonna beat you. I tribute my Spinos Token to summon out the mighty Des Volstgalph (Atk:2200). I activate Giant Trunade next. This sends your face-down back to your hand.' Giant Trunade then activated, and a sudden gust of wind blew across the arena, putting Claude's face-down back in his hand.

'By the way, Des Volstgalph has an ability. Whenever a Normal Spell is activated, it gains 200 Attack points (Atk:2200-2400). Dyson Sphere, fire away with _Brilliant Bombardment.' _Number 9 fired lasers from the sky, destroying Spinos (Claude LP:2200-2000). 'Time to finish this off now. Des Volstgalph, attack directly.' Des Volstgalph flew in, slashing Claude with it's claws, ending the duel (Claude LP:2200-0000).

After the duel, Claude offered his hand to Blair. She responded by spitting in his face, before walking away, her hair swinging violently. Someone then came down to do an interview with Dad. "Great win for Blair there, and we have her manager Phil Robinson here."

'My surname is Robinson-Cummings. And surely Blair's the one you should be interviewing.' 'The interview we want to do is wth you, because you are the World Champion." 'Go on.' "Firstly, what do you think of Blair's duel?" ' Blair's one of those rare things- a brainy American. Seriously though- I'm proud of her. We, as you know, have had tragedy in our little circle, and she has coped brilliantly, and that was an excellent duel from her.'

Blair then came over. 'Blair, great duelling. When we get backstage, I'll go through everything you did well and badly.' 'Cheers.' "Blair, how good is Phil as a manager?' 'Being honest with you, he is brilliant. He's not all nice, he gives me a right bollocking when I need it. He's determined to make sure that I achieve my full potential, and right now, that's what I'm starting to do. Make no mistake about it though- I want to be World Champion. Nothing else will do.'

"One more thing Phil. We all know about the tragedy that befell you a month ago now. How are you all coping with life after Hannah?" 'This interview is terminated.' He then looked over at us, before punching the interviewer in the jaw. Him and Blair then went backstage, to have a chat.

Point of View- Blair

'Master, please can we restart with the after-duel training?' 'Sure. I'll offer it to Maddy as well, but it has to start after this tournament, because I've not got my Kendo Stick with me.' 'Thanks. I'm here to do whatever you command master.' 'I know you are Blair- you're a good kid.' He then gave me a friendly kiss on the cheek, making me blush. 'That's for last night. If only you weren't my cousin.' He then left, with me still blushing.

While I was blushing, Andrew Brown beat Radley by 1800 Lfe points, and Dumon beat the Swedish guy (Johannas Ibraö) by 4000 Life points. So it was time for Akiza's duel. 'Akiza, do your thing.' 'I'm going to- thanks Blair.' 'Where's Phil?' 'Medical room.' 'Is he ok?' 'Yeah- just suffering from shortness of breath. Go and keep him company if you want.' 'Cheers.'

When I got to the medical room, Phil was flat on his back. 'You ok?' 'Not too bad- just a little short of breath, that's all. And my back's causing problems as well.' 'Withdraw from the singles then.' 'No- I have to compete. I absolutely have to compete- it's not a choice I have. I need to prove myself to everyone.'

'You have nothing to prove. You need to think about yourself and think about Maddy- try and look after yourself a bit more. Please Phil.' 'I'll see how I go against what's her name, and then I'll make a decision. You're doing really well Blair- I know how much everything must have taken out of you recently.'

'Thanks- I'm trying. I can't wait for Rio to be out of hospital though.' 'I know- me too. She's a really nice person, a calming influence.' 'Telling me? I know she is- almost like the other side of me in a way.' 'I get what you mean.' 'Are you sure you'll be fit?' 'Yeah- Akiza's going to give me an injection just before I go out there.'

'Who am I up againt in the next round?' 'Presuming they get through, me.' 'Cool. First time in a while.' 'I know. As I maintain, I learned more from duelling you at Worlds than I have from duelling anyone else in a very long time Blair. Honestly, I thought it would be a breeze. But in the end, and this is very rare for me, I did not deserve to win- I got very lucky. I did feel very sorry for you.'

'That's sweet, but it taught me a lot as well- it taught me to strategise better. I went into that not believing that I had a chance. But I grew in confidence because I was ahead. I realised that there was nothing to be afraid of. At the end of the day though, I wasn't ready to be the World Champion.'

Akiza then came back in. 'That was easy. Turn over Phil, and I'll give you that injection you asked for.' 'Cheers Akiza.' While Akiza was getting it ready, Maddy came in, taking her jacket off to reveal a very fetching sapphire blue top. 'Hi guys, just wanted to check on how Dad is.' 'I'm fine Maddy- thanks for your concern though.'

After the injection, Phil grabbed his jacket, and took out his deck. 'Right- let's go.' 'We're coming with you Dad.' 'If you insist.' The three of us then went out.

Kari was already out there when we got to the gateway. 'And introducing her opponent, representing the Renegades and the M18 Connection, from the M18 district of Manchester, England, he is the World's Most Dangerous Man- Phil Robinson-Cummings!' Phil came out, with me and Maddy staying near the duelling zone to keep an eye on him. When he got to the duelling zone, he grabbed his duel disk, and activated it. He didn't seem comfortable though.

Malmo Round 1: [12] Phil Robinson-Cummings LP:4000 vs. [95] Kari Tsukumo LP:4000

Turn 1- Kari- "I'll start. I draw. I summon out Gagaga Magician (Atk:1500). Next, because I Normal Summoned a Level 4 monster, Kagetokage can slither onto my field (Atk:1100). Next, because I control a Gagaga monster, Gagaga Child can come out to play (Atk:800). By the way, my Child can copy the Level of any Gagaga monster on the field, including Magician (Level:2-4)."

"I now overlay my three Level 4 monsters to build the overlay network. I summon out One-Eyed Skill Gainer (Atk:2500). I end my turn with a face-down."

Phil- 'I draw. I summon Machina Peacekeeper (Atk:500). Next, I activate Frontline Base, letting me summon X-Head Cannon (Def.:1500). I'll now activate Peacekeeper's ability, equipping it to X-Head Cannon. I'll throw down this and end my turn.'

Kari- "First turn and you're already struggling." 'This is no laughing matter. Make your move.' "Fine- I draw. I summon Dododo Witch (Atk:1200). I now activate her ability, letting me summon a Dododo monster from my hand either face-up in Attack mode or face-down in Defence mode. I choose to summon Dododo Swordsman face-down. Skill Gainer, destroy X-Head Cannon."

One-Eyed Skill Gainer jumped into the air, before stabbing X-Head Cannon with it's rapier-like sword. "Machina Peacekeeper's ability lets it protect X-Head Cannon by destroying itself. And when it is destroyed, I can add a Union monster from my deck to my hand. This one's the one I think.'

"Fine- I activate Second Sword. Because a monster of yours was destroyed outside of battle during the Battle Phase, I can attack again. Oh, and by the way, Second Sword lets Skill Gainer deal piercing damage. One-Eyed Skill Gainer, destroy X-Head Cannon." One-Eyed Skill Gainer leapt into the air again, firing two rapiers this time, destroying Phil's Cannon, nearly knocking him down as well (Phil LP:4000-3000).

"I end my turn." Meanwhile, Phil seemed to have developed some discomfort in his right shoulder. 'You sure you're ok?' 'Yeah- I'll explain later.'

Phil- 'I draw. I summon out Z-Metal Tank (Atk:1500). Next, I activate Monster Reborn, reviving X-Head Cannon. I now banish both of them, to summon out XZ-Tank Cannon (Atk:2400). Next, I activate Pot of Duality, letting me excavate the top 3 cards of my deck. Then, I put one in my hand, and shuffle the other two back into my deck. Cpshe?'

He then drew his cards (Beastking of the Swamps, Cyber Barrier Dragon and Pot of Greed), and added one to his hand (Pot of Greed), before shuffling the others back into his deck. 'I now activate Pot of Greed. This lets me draw two new cards. I activate Lockdown Pact. This forces a monster on my field into Defence mode, but doubles it's Defence points. It's not allowed to change Battle modes until the end of your next turn (XZ-Tank Cannon Def.:2100-4200). Also, you're not allowed to flip your monsters face-up on your next turn.'

'I'll end my turn with that. Your go spoilt brat.'

Kari- "I draw. I'll end my turn with a face-down."

Phil- 'I draw. I activate Overlay Satellite. This makes my Tank Cannon two monsters for an Xyz summon. You ready to rev it up to 11 girls?' 'Yeah!' 'You rock Dad!' 'I know I do. I overlay my Level 6 XZ-Tank Cannon to build the overlay network. We are the Renegades- a New World Order. I summon out New Order 6- Etheric Apophis (Atk:2500).'

"Stalemate- same Attack points." 'Yeah- about that. I activate the ability of Apophis. By detaching an overlay unit, it reduces the Attack strength of your monster by 2000 points.' Apophis shot light out of the panels on it's wings, crippling her monster (Atk:2500-500). 'And while I'm at it, I'll activate the ability of Effect Veiler.'

"Where's that- in your head?" 'No- it's in my hand. By discarding it, the abilities of Skill Gainer are all negated. And the great thing about it is that I don't even have to wait for you to use an ability. Apophis, attack One-Eyed Skill Gainer with _Celestial Blast!' _Apophis release a flash of light, incinerating Skill Gainer, destroying it, and nearly knocking Kari down (Kari LP:4000-2000).

'I'll end my turn.'

Kari- "I draw. I activate Monster Reborn, reviving Gagaga Magician (Atk:1500). Next, I summon Gagaga Girl (Atk:1000). I now activate her ability, letting me make her the same Level as my Magician- 4 (Level:3-4). I now overlay my two Level 4 monsters to build the overlay network, and summon out Number 39- Utopia (Atk:2500)."

'I now activate Exchange, and you know what that means." They then walked to the middle of the duelling zone, and Birchall snuck up from behind, hitting Phil square in the back with a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire, dropping him to the ground. He then retreated before Maddy could get at him. Kari then took the only card in Phil's hand (Rank-up Magic Icaron Force, and gave Phil Premature Burial, before strolling back to her end.

Meaanwhile, I was checking on Phil. 'You sure you can continue?' Phil just grimaced, before struggling back up to his feet. "I flip Dododo Swordsman face-up (Atk:0000-3500). Now I activate Rank-up Magic Icaron Force. This ranks up Utopia into a Chaos Xyz Monster. Go- Chaos Xyz Evolution! I summon out Chaos Number 39- Utopia Ray Victory (Atk:2800)."

"When Utopia Ray Victory attacks, your monster has it's abilities negated, and you can't activate any Spells or Traps. Also, it gains Attack points equal to the Attack of your monster simply by detaching one Chaos Overlay Unit. Number C39, attack with _Rising Sun Double Victory Slash!"_

Utopia Ray Victory soared into the air (Atk:2800-5300), and produced two shining swords, before coming down, slashing Apophis in such a way that the swords created an X (Phil LP:3000-300). "Dododo Swordsman, finish him off." Swordsman used it's rapier to hit Phil in the back, ending the duel (Phil LP:300-0000).

After the duel, Kari left, stamping on Phil's back as she left. Me and Maddy carried Phil back to the medical room. When we got there, Akiza turned him straight over. 'This isn't good.' 'What isn't?' 'His back's deeply lacerated.' 'Will he be able to compete later?' 'At his own risk. You'll need to ask for the duel to be postponed till later though- he needs this bandaging up.'

'Sorry about what happened Dad.' 'Not your fault Maddy.' 'Akiza, can I see the damage?' 'If you can stomach blood, yes.' She then took the blanket off of his back, and the damage was revealed- he had gashes all over his back. 'I can't believe that it actually went through his shirt.' 'He must have been hit with considerable force in the back for that to happen.'

I then went to the toilets. When I was coming back, I saw Birchall. Before I had chance to say anything though, Belle approached him from behind, and threw him into the wall, before hitting him over the neck with a metal canister. 'All for the Renegades.' We then bundled him in a storage room, and Belle grabbed the canister, and sprayed the contents into the storage room, before locking the door.

'What was in that?' 'CO². You don't mind, do you?' 'He can rot in hell for all I care.' Maddy then came up behind us. 'I saw everything and told Dad. He agreed with me- good job you two.' 'Thanks. Hope Astrid doesn't mind.' 'I told her my plan, and she reminded me that the priority is getting rid of Birchall.'

20 minutes later (after Justin Pipe, Dumon, and Tee had all gotten through), it was time for Astrid's duel. She came out first, with Phil (who had been patched up by Akiza and given extra painkillers). 'The following is a Round 1 match-up. Introducing first, from Hamar, Norway, she is the Scandanavian Princess- Astrid Langvik.'

Astrid came out, with Phil talking to her on the way down. When she got to the duelling zone, she got her duel disk out. Birchall's music then hit, but he didn't appear. "Introducing her opponent, from Parts Unknown, he is the Renegade Killa- Birchall." 3 minutes passed, and still no appearance.

"From Parts Unknown, the Renegade Killa- Birchall." Another 5 minutes, and still nothing. "There will now be a 10 draw salute. If Birchall does not come out before the 10th card is drawn, Astrid will win by walkover." 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Still no Birchall. "Your winner as a result of a walkover, Astrid Langvik."

Astrid then grabbed a mic. 'I am now Astrid of the Renegades. My personal achievement does not matter anymore, I am a servant of my master. He enligtened me with his scriptures. My only desire is to serve him. I will prove that however I can.' Phil then stroked the back of Astrid's hair, and they left.

'Blair, can I speak to you a moment?' 'Sure Phil.' 'How would you feel about Astrid becoming my third project? Along with you and Rio.' 'Yeah- sure. Rio wouldn't have a problem with it either.' 'Great- thanks. I just didn't want you to feel that I was trying to replace you in any way.' 'I know, thanks for consulting me.' 'No worries.'

Astrid then walked past. 'Astrid, come.' She did. 'What is it master?' 'I want to become your manager.' 'Whatever you wish master- if you feel that it will make me stronger for the cause, I will do it.' 'Good. You're up against Justin Pipe next- he seems pretty good.' 'I know- I duelled him last year in a qualifier for Worlds. He beat me in 4 turns. He was taken ill before the tournament though, so he was replaced by Maximus Dreadus.' 'Why didn't you replace him?' 'They didn't want "my type" there.'

'"They" being the WDC?' 'Exactly. By the way, is Rio out of hospital?' 'She's coming home tomorrow on day release with a view to her being released next week.' 'That's positive.' 'Yeah- I'm real nervous about it though. It's going to be hard for her to adjust, and she's got significant brain damage. Damage as in she can't read or write very well.'

'I wish I could help with that.' 'We'll get there.' 'Yeah, I know you will.' 'One more thing- I have a Number, but I've never used it.' 'Oh yeah? Which one?' Actually, I've got two. I've had one for a while, but recently aqquired the other one. Number 57 is the newer one, and I've also got Number 97.'

She then showed them to us. 'Nice.' 'I don't use Number 57- I prefer my Nordic cards.' 'Could I have it then? For Tee's deck.' 'Sure.' She then handed it over to me. 'Cheers Astrid. Blair, you're up against Kari.' 'Cheers- I'll get revenge for you.' 'It's a nice thought Blair, but you win for yourself.' 'Understood.'

15 minutes later, and the first 3 tag matches were complete (Brown Brothers beat the Defectors by 2000 Life points, Tee and Lukas beat Dumon and Mizar by 4000 Life points, and Pipes of Doomsday beat Powerplay by 1450 Life points). Maddy came up, with her duel disk on her arm. 'You ready Dad?' 'For you, always.' They then hugged, and Phil roared in pain. 'Sorry, just caught a sensitive area.' 'Sorry Dad.' 'It's not you- it's me. Anyway, let's go.'

When they got to the gateway, C+C were already out there. The M18 Connection music then hit. 'Introducing their opponents, representing the Renegades, from the M18 district of Manchester, England, they are the team of Phil and the Young Gun champion Maddy- the M18 Connection!'

Phil came out first, closely followed by Maddy. They didn't waste time, instead running straight down to the duelling zone. Phil got his duel disk out, and then him and Maddy activated their duel disks in stereo, starting the duel.

Malmo Round 1 Tag: M18 Connection ([12] Phil Robinson-Cummings + [17] Maddy Robinson-Cummings) LP:4000 vs. C+C Duel Factory ([104] Bronk Stone + [115] Percy Watson) LP:4000

Turn 1- Maddy- 'I start. I draw. I activate Fusion Gate, fusing together Edge-Imp Chain and The Dark- Hex-Sealed Fusion to summon out Frightfur Chain Sheep (Atk:2000). Because Fusion Gate's a Field Spell, I can use it again, this time fusing Fluffal Leo and Edge-Imp Saw to summon out Frightfur Saw Leo (Atk:2400). I end my turn with 2 face-downs.'

Turn 2- Percy- "My turn. I summon Jiatou, Darkness of the Yang Zing (Atk:0000). Next, I activate Quick Summon, bringing out Suanni, Fire of the Yang Zing (Atk:1900). I now tune my Level 2 Jiatou and Level 4 Suanni to summon out HTS Psyhemuth (Atk:2400). Also, because Suanni was used as a Synchro Material monster, it gains 500 Attack points (Atk:2400-2900). I end my turn with a face-down."

Phil- 'I draw. I activate Field Barrier. Now no Field spell may replace Fusion Gate. And you can't destroy Fusion Gate without first destroying Field Barrier. I now fuse together my two Cyber Dragons to summon Cyber Twin Dragon (Atk:2800).' 'I activate Fusion Discharge. This lets me give Dad control of all of my Fusion monsters because he Fusion Summoned. I must now skip my next two turns though.'

'Maddy, that was very grown up of you. I now activate Rule Breaker, letting me activate a Trap from my hand if I discard one card from my hand. I'll discard Burst Breath to activate Battle Mania. This forces all monsters in Attack mode to attack this turn.' "Psyhemuth has more strength."

'Correct. But I know something you don't know.' 'Go on." 'I activate my other face-down. Go- Fusion Weapon. This lets me increase the Attack points of any Level 6 or below Fusion monster by 1200. I choose Dad's Frightfur Saw Leo (Atk:2400-3600). Hit 'em Dad!'

'Oh, I intend to do just that. Saw Leo, rip up HTS Psyhemuth with _Saw Slicer!' _Saw Leo fired saws out of it's body at Psyhemuth, slicing it up, and dealing damage as it exploded (C+C LP:4000-3300). 'While we're at it, Chain Sheep will attack with _Chain Catastrophe!' _Chain Sheep fired a loose chain at C+C, knocking them to the ground (C+C LP:3300-1300).

'Cyber Twin Dragon, finish this duel off with _Double Strident Blast!' _Cyber Twin Dragon shot fire out of it's two heads, ending the duel in an instant (C+C LP:1300-0000). After the duel, Maddy grabbed a mic, and kicked the guy who gave it to her in the face.

'I know that life is tough at the moment for both of us, as well as the rest of the Renegades who have given their all to try and help us cope in this difficult time. People still don't get it though. They still think that this is all one big charade, another cheap trick. It's not- Mum's really dead, and however much we wish we were wrong, we know that Mum is not coming back.'

'People think that it was the end of the M18 Connection. It's not. I'm more loyal to Dad than ever before. I am the president of the Renegades, at least for now. That means that I am in charge, and I will stand for absolutely nobody undermining my authority in the club, and I hope everyone gets this message loud and clear Claude.'

Birchall then came out, having seemingly escaped from the store cupboard. "I am not in a good mood." 'Neither am I Birchall, so go away.' "You think you can seriously survive me? I will not rest until there is no more wolfbloods in this world. You will all fall at my knees, because I'll kill you all. I've done it before, and I'm itching to kill a Renegade once again."

"I am fed up of you though, so I'll torture you. In Turku, the Brave Bones will roll into town, with a bit more weight. That's right- we will come with Hannah, in her coffin. You can see her one last time before I put her in my house as a little keepsake, a memento of glories past."

'You don't intimidate us one bit Birchall. I am the Dark Wolf- Maddy Robinson-Cummings, and I am the wolfbloods saviour. It was told in an ancient prophecy thousands of years ago that one day, in the distant future, there would be a war to end all wars, between the wolfblood protectors and the wolfblood harmers. Only then would the saviour reveal their true form. I am the saviour that the prophecy was speaking about- I am that one true light. And I will live up to my destiny, whether you like it or not.'

When Birchall turned around to leave, he was decked by Lukas again. They then started slugging it out in a brawl. Girag then came out, but just stared at me, before grabbing Birchall, and chokeslamming him onto the ground, leaving Lukas to start bludgioning him with big left hands (Lukas was a southpaw, which means he punches mainly with his left hand).

Birchall turned it around with a headbutt into Lukas' mouth, before punching him repeatedly. He thought he had Lukas down for the count, but turned around into a big kick to the face from Alito. Birchall then retreated, before security came out to stop him and Lukas fighting. Girag then raised his fist, as did Alito.

'Why did you two do that?' 'We realised that we wanted to fight for Marin's honour- we know she's still pretty banged up.' 'Birchall got what he asked for- me and Alito decided it was clobbering time.' 'Good job guys. When did you escape Don Thousand's control?' 'I escaped it after having my head kicked in by Phil.'

'Alito?' 'Seeing a picture of Marin in the hospital made me come to my senses. She needs all the support she can get.' 'Agreed. You alright Lukas- you're a bloody mess.' 'Yeah- cut on me head, cut on me lip, but I did what I intended to do. I'm a brawler, I don't care about any rules or anything like that, I just like fist-to-fist combat. Me and Alito share a similarity in that- we're street brawlers.'

'Blair, I've got some cards for your duel with Kari.' 'Why are you giving me these?' 'Because I trust you.' 'Thanks- I won't let you down.' 'I know you won't- you've not let me down once yet. Maddy, it's us against Pipes of Doomsday next, and I've got a new deck to try out.' 'I know the one you mean- Meklord.' 'Correct.'

When we got to the medical room, I asked Akiza about the new deck. 'Meklord? I've lost against that deck before. The Meklord Emperors are known as the "Synchro Stealers" because of their abilities to absorb Synchro monsters. The other thing about them is while they look like 1 monster, they are in fact 5 different ones.'

'Union?' 'Yes- you have the Top, the Guard, the Attack, the Carrier, and the actual Meklord Emperor Infinity. They used to be forbidden, but with the advent of Xyz monsters, they're no longer forbidden, because less duellists use Synchro monsters. They are still very powerful though, especially in Union decks.'

Phil then came in. 'Sorry to disturb, but I have something for Tee's deck, and I figured that I should consult Akiza first.' 'Go on then. Hmmm- Number 57. Yeah, she could use this I reckon. Bit unconventional, but it will help- thanks. Where did you get it from?' 'Your next opponent- Astrid.' 'Nice.'

Point of View- Akiza

Blair was out first, with Phil and Maddy. 'The following is a Quarter-Final match-up. Introducing first, from Shelby, Michigan, she is one half of your tag-team champions- the Rough Diamond, Blair Flannigan!' Blair came out, with Phil talking to her and Maddy. When she got to the duelling zone, she flicked her hair into the air, before pulling her jacket back onto her shoulders.

Kari then came out, to C+C's music, looking rather cocky. "And introducing her opponent, from Dodge City, Kansas, she is Kari Tsukumo." Kari walked down to the duelling zone, making signs to Phil on the way down, but he just stared right on through. Both her and Blair activated their duel disks, starting the duel.

Malmo Quarter-Final: [95] Kari Tsukumo LP:4000 vs. [1] Blair Flannigan LP:4000

Turn 1- Kari- "I think that I'll start this one off. I draw. I summon Gagaga Magician (Atk:1500). Next, because I have a Level 4 monster on my field, I can summon Kagetokage (Atk:1100). I now overlay my two Level 4 monsters to build the overlay network, and summon out Number 55- Gogogo Goliath (Atk:2400). I end my turn with a face-down."

Turn 2- Blair- 'I draw. I summon out Crystal Beast Amythest Cat (Atk:1200). I now activate Gem Rush, doubling her Attack points for the rest of the turn (Atk:1200-2400). During the End Phase of this turn, the monster boosted by Gem Rush is destroyed. Amythest Cat, attack Gogogo Goliath with _Amythest Nail'._

"I activate Number Wall. With this, Number monsters can't be destroyed in battle except with a Number monster, and can't be destroyed by card effects." Amythest Cat then leapt into Goliath, which held firm, whereas Amythest Cat was destroyed, turning her into a crystal. 'I end my turn with 2 face-downs.'

Kari- "It's my turn, I draw. I summon Gogogo Golem (Atk:1800). Golem, attack her directly." 'I activate Release from Crystal. This lets me negate your attack, and then summon out a Crystal Beast from my Spell and Trap card zone. I choose Amythest Cat.' Golem then went to attack Blair, but a shield appeared in front of her, negating the attack. Amythest Cat then came out of the shield (Atk:1200).

"Goliath, attack Amythest Cat with _Goliath March!" _Goliath punched Amythest Cat with both fists, sending her back to Blair's spell and trap card zone. "I'll end my turn."

Blair- 'I draw. I summon Gimmick Puppet Humpty Dumpty. I now activate Humpty Dumpty's ability, letting me summon out Gimmick Puppet Egg Head (Atk:1600). Next, I activate the ability of Egg Head, making it Level 8 (Level:4-8). I now activate Level Scanner. This equips onto Humpty Dumpty, and lets it copy the Level of another monster on the field, as long as they are the same type. Both my Gimmick Puppets are Machines, so I now have two Level 8 monsters.'

'I now overlay Level 8 Humpty Dumpty and Egg Head, to build the overlay network.' Blair's Primal Mark then started pulsating. "What is that? It looks horrible!" 'It is- it's full of darkness and anger just waiting to get out. And it will get out now. I summon out Number 15- Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder (Atk:1500).'

'I'm not done. I activate Cards of Black Stars. Because I just Xyz summoned, I can draw one card for every 2 Ranks my monster has. It's Rank 8, so I draw 4 cards. I activate Rank-up Magic Barian's Force. This lets me rank-up my monster. Go- Chaos Xyz Evolution! I summon out Chaos Number 15- Gimmick Puppet Giant Hunter (Atk:2500).'

"I activate Shield and Sword. This swaps the Attack and Defence points of our monsters (Goliath Atk:2400-1600, Golem Atk:1500-1800, Hunter Atk:2500-1500). Beat that." 'Ok, if you wish. I activate Shield and Sword myself, cancelling the original effect of it (Goliath Atk:1600-2400, Golem Atk:1800-1500, Hunter Atk:1500-2500).'

'I'll now activate Giant Hunter's ability. By detaching one overlay unit, it can destroy a card on the field. If it's a monster, you take damage equal to it's original Attack points. I choose to destroy Number Wall.' Giant Hunter picked up a piece of metal, and sliced straight through Number Wall with it, destroying it.

I'll activate the ability of Giant Hunter again. This time, say goodbye to your Gogogo Goliath.' Giant Hunter grabbed a piece of metal again, and this time sliced through Number 55, destroying it (Kari LP:4000-1600). I activate the ability of my monster one last time now, detaching it's last Chaos Overlay Unit, to destroy Golem. Go- _Shard Slicer!' _Golem was splitt in half by the shard of metal, destroying it, and ending the duel, s the explosion knocked Kari straight down to the ground (Kari LP:1500-0000).

After the duel, Blair just turned Kari over and gave her a stiff kick to the ribs, before grabbing her by the head, and forcing her head into the ground. 'That is for my manager and master.' She then lifted her fist, and left, with Phil and Maddy. They were stopped at the gateway for another interview, but Maddy just pushed her hand into the interviewer's face.

Point of View- Phil

Akiza came out 20 minutes later for her next duel. 'The following is a Quarter-Final duel. Introducing first, representing Black Rose Inc., from Tacoma, Washington, she is the Black Rose, and the leader of Black Rose Inc.- Akiza Izinski!' Akiza came out, her duelling jacket flowing in the brisk breeze. I was getting cold because I'd given Maddy my coat (she'd left hers at the hotel, and her top was partly see-through). When she got to the duelling zone, Akiza just looked around, before getting her duel disk out, ready to duel.

Astrid then came out, to my music (my orders). 'Introducing her opponent, representing the Lupine Warriors, from Hamar, Norway, she is the Princess of the Far North- Astrid Langvik!' Astrid came out, and just looked up at me, before coming straight down. When she got to the duelling zone, she offered her hand to Akiza, who accepted the handshake (a club tradition that we shake hands with each other before a competitive duel).

Malmo Quarter-Final- [33] Astrid Langvik LP:4000 vs. [11] Akiza Izinski LP:4000

Turn 1- Akiza- 'I'll start. I draw. I activate Miracle Fertilizer. We'll get to that later on. For now, I summon Lonefire Blossom (Atk:500).' 'Cute plant Akiza.' 'I know she is. But she has a nasty ability. By tributing a Plant-type monster, such as herself, I can summon out any Plant I like from my deck. I choose Tytannial- Princess of Camellias (Atk:2800).'

'I now activate the Field spell Black Garden.' The overgrown garden then materialised around them. 'You know full well what this does Astrid. I'll throw a face-down card on to finish this turn. Your go.'

Astrid- 'I draw. I summon out Mara of the Nordic Alfar (Atk:1000).' 'Don't forget about my garden- it has a sting.' Mara then became entangled in vines, reducing it's Attack points, and a Rose Token bloomed on Astrid's field (Mara Atk:1000-500, RT Def.:800). 'Not to worry. I activate Divine Judgement.'

'Not Divine Judgement.' 'Oh yes. Here's how it works folks. I tribute a monster on my field that was summoned by a card effect this turn. That Rose Token will do nicely. Now I have to pay Life points equal to it's Level x 200, but when I Synchro Summon an Aesir card, it can't be affected by card effects of yours, nor can you destroy it. These effects last for as long as Divine Judgement is out on the field.'

A light then shone from the heavens on Astrid, as the Rose Token was destroyed (Astrid LP:4000-3200). 'I activate Mara's special ability. When I use her to Synchro summon, the other monsters are two Nordic monsters in my hand. I tune Level 2 Mara with the two copies of Level 4 Ljosalf of the Nordic Alfar in my hand. Oh mighty Father of the Gods, lay down your divine wrath on here, as I attempt to do your bidding. I summon out the mighty Odin- Father of the Aesir, make them tremble in fear (Atk:4000).'

'Why were you able to summon Odin using Mara of the Nordic Alfar?' 'Mara's other ability lets it negate the summoning conditions of any monster I summon using her. And because, I have Divine Judgement out, Odin isn't weakened by your garden of evil. Odin, why don't we take care of that Princess of Camellias our way? Go-_ Odin's Wrath!'_

Odin shot light out of its staff, ripping through Tytannial, and dealing damage to Akiza, dropping her to one knee (Akiza LP:4000-2800). 'I activate Shocking Rebirth. By paying 800 Life points, I can revive a monster destroyed in battle this turn. Be revived, Tytannial- Princess of Camellias!'

Tytannial then floated back onto the field, but Akiza got zapped (Akiza LP:2800-2000). 'I end my turn with a face-down.'

Akiza- 'My go. I'll activate Guard Penalty. With this I can draw a card every time a monster switches to Defence mode or is summoned in Defence mode. I switch Tytannial to Defence mode (Def.:2600). I now draw a card thanks to Guard Penalty. I play a monster face-down in Defence mode and end my turn with a face-down.'

Astrid- 'I draw. I activate my face-down- Odin's Eye. This trap equips to Odin, letting him show me all the cards in your hand and your face-down cards once per turn. Odin, show me what she hides.' Odin's Eye then let Astrid see Akiza's hand (Lonefire Blossom, Zen Garden), her face-down spell or trap (Fiery Fervor), and her face-down monster (Dark Verger).

'I'll activate Mystical Space Typhoon. This lets me get rid of your Black Garden.' Mystical Space Typhoon then laid waste to Black Garden, destroying it. 'Odin, destroy Tytannial again with _Odin's Wrath!' _Odin then attacked Tytannial again, destroying it once again. 'I end my turn.'

'Dad, what do you think Akiza was trying to achieve there?' 'I think I get it. Her plan was to build up to have 3 copies of Tytannial out, so she could Xyz summon Number 87- Queen of the Night. Then she'd use Zen Garden to power Queen of the Night up to 4000 Attack points. She'd still need something to get rid of Odin though.'

'Hurricane Blade?' 'Not on your wavelength- Hurricane Blade destroys a Spell or Trap card.' 'Exactly- use Hurricane Blade to destroy Divine Judgement. Then Akiza can destroy Odin using Zen Garden as well.' 'She'd need to sacrifice a spell or trap to activate it though.' 'That's why she activated Guard Penalty. It wasn't to draw cards, it was to set up for Hurricane Blade.' 'Maddy, you're a genius.' 'I know... I am?' 'Yeah- you out-stratagised me.'

Akiza- 'I draw. I activate Silent Doom, reviving Lonefire Blossom (Def.:1400). I can draw a card now. I activate another Silent Doom. This one revives Tytannial (Def.:2600). I draw another card now. Next, I summon Lonefire Blossom (Def.:1400). I now draw yet another card. Bingo- I got the one I wanted. I activate the abilities of my two Lonefire Blossoms, tributing them both to summon out two more Tytannials (Atk:2800)x2.'

'I now overlay my three Level 8 monsters, to build the overlay network. Welcome Number 87- Queen of the Night (Atk:3200). Next, I activate Zen Garden. This gives all Xyz monsters an extra 100 Attack points for each Rank they have (Number 87 Atk:3200-4000). I now activate Hurricane Blade. If I destroy a spell or trap on my field, I can activate this, and this means that when I attack your monster, I can destroy a Spell or Trap on the field.'

'But that means...' 'Queen of the Night, attack Odin. Hurricane Blade will take card of Divine Judgement.' As Queen of the Night came in to attack with her scythe, Hurricane Blade fired a massive hurricane at Divine Judgement, destroying it. Queen of the Night then went to slash Odin's face, but Odin responded with his staff, causing an explosion. When the smoke cleared, Queen of the Night was still there (Atk:4000).

'What happened?' 'Hurricane Blade's effect. If the equipped monster would be destroyed, I can destroy Hurricane Blade instead, but all Battle damage is doubled for the rest of this turn.' 'Pity you can't attack any more this turn.' 'Who said? I activate my face-down. Go- Fiery Fervor!'

'No.' 'Yes- Fiery Fervor doubles the original Attack points of Queen of the Night, and lets it attack again (Atk:4000-3200-6400). Queen of the Night, attack Astrid directly with _Midnight Melody!' _Number 87 slashed at Astrid with her sharp scythe-style weapon, ending the duel (Astrid LP:4000-0000).

After the duel, Astrid walked over to Akiza, and shook her hand. Akiza then celebrated a hard-fought win, while Astrid came back to me. 'Sorry I didn't win.' 'Astrid, you did a good job. You were unlucky there.' 'Thanks.' 'No worries Astrid. You put in a very competent performance against a former World Champion. When we get back to Britain, I'll go through your deck for you to see where I can improve it.'

'There's also a Lupine Warriors uniform waiting for you, so if you come over to the base with us, we'll get you registered with the club.' 'So I don't **have **to live at the base?' 'No- it's optional. It's more convieniant though because it's easier to attend the meetings then. The Lupine Warriors meetings are once a week, on a Wednesday afternoon. There is general Renegades meetings on a Monday, and the Renegades only meet on a Friday.'

'Ok, I'll uh, try and remember that. My memory's not the greatest sadly, so that won't be easy.' 'You'll get used to it quickly. We ask everyone to arrive 10 minutes early for the meeting, to cater for delays.' 'Could I have some sort of guide for the first couple of weeks?' 'Blair's the person to ask over that- she's currently the leader of the Lupine Warriors.'

Just then, Blair came by. 'Hi guys, you heard who I'm up against?' 'Yeah, have you?' 'Nope.' 'Good luck is the only thing I can say to you Blair- you're up against Akiza.' 'That will be quite fun I expect.' 'Yeah- it should be quite good.' 'Blair, I need to ask you a question.' 'Anything Maddy.'

'Actually, it's on behalf of Astrid. She was wondering if she could have someone as a sort of guide for her while she's still getting used to being part of the club?' 'Yeah, sure. I'll sort something out, and then get back to you.' As she was walking away, we heard her say to herself 'If only Rio was out of hospital right now.'

Just then, Dad received a phone-call. 'Hello?' 'Hi.' 'Hi Rio, great to hear your voice, even if you are a little bit croaky.' 'Yeah- something to do with the drugs I've been given. Nice to hear your voice as well.' 'Thanks. How are you anyway?' 'Improving. I'm sorry I was being so selfish giving myself credit for what Birchall did.'

'No worries- we all get like that. You up for day release tomorrow?' 'What are you talking about?' 'Day release from hospital. You know- at home?' 'I hadn't been told about it, but I'd love to spend the day with you all at home, thanks.' 'Glad to hear it. We've been told by Akiza that it can happen as long as we keep an eye on you at all times. We'll give you a bit of leeway though.' 'Thanks.'

'It's not a problem Rio. If it all goes well, we might have you back as soon as next week.' 'Sounds good to me- I'm growing bored in here now. I'm in the entrance to the hospital at the moment- first fresh air I've felt in weeks. I'm feeling a bit more confident though. Also, I'm starting to be able to write again.'

'That's great Rio. We're all supporting you, I promise.' 'I know you are- I've been watching this tournament on my tablet. Astrid against Akiza was epic.' 'Talking of Astrid' 'Yes, I'd be more than happy if she became your client. It'll be nice to have her on board, and she's seriously good. In fact, I'd like you to at least consider it.'

'Nothing wrong with your gob then.' 'I heard that.' 'You were meant to. I'd love to keep chatting, but Maddy wants to talk to you. Maddy, please stop kicking my leg- my phone, not yours.' 'Ok, I'll see you tomorrow then Phil.' 'See you tomorrow Rio.' 'Give my best wishes to Blair please.' 'Will do.'

I then handed the phone to Maddy. 'Hey Rio.' 'Hey Mads, you look absolutely beautiful. Not meaning to flirt, but you really do.' 'Thanks Rio. You're sounding a bit better.' 'I know- I think I'm on the mend now.' 'That's good. Good job against Vector yesterday.' 'You saw it?' 'Yeah- you did really well. I heard about you and Lukas- you make a cute couple.'

'Who the fuck told you? No offence.' 'None taken. It was actually Lukas himself that told me. I'm really happy for you- it's motivating me to get outta here.' 'Yeah- looking forward to having you at home tomorrow.' 'Thanks. Sorry about getting depressed.' 'It's not your fault Rio.' 'Thanks- it is though. I'm the one who let myself get like that, and I'm making up for it by not letting myself get like that again now.'

'That's good. How do you feel about Astrid being with us now.' 'I like it- I know we didn't get on at first, but she's grown on me a lot, and I think she's good for us.' 'Yeah- I know.' 'I'm sure you're doing a great job as the Interim Renegades President.' 'I hope I am- I'm not really the best judge for that I suppose- I am after all, a little bit biased.'

'Yeah. One thing Maddy- if my species needed a saviour, you're one of the first people I'd call upon honestly- you're a great saviour, and a lovely friend to be with.' 'Thanks. I'm really looking forward to seeing you again.' 'Same here. Feel free to use my deck, any of you. Let's face it- I'm not going to be duelling for quite a while yet.' 'True, but hopefully you'll be back up and running eventually.' 'I'm concentrating on walking properly as well. This is the first fresh air I've had in nearly a month.'

'Can I just say that out of everyone in the Renegades Rio, you have the best haircut.' 'Uh, thanks... I think. I think that it looks good as well actually.' 'Yeah- you're right about that. I'm going now- have nice fresh air, and I'll speak to you tomorrow.' 'Okays, bye. Oh, one more thing- give Maverick my deck to use in title defences- Blair's memorised it back to front.' 'Understood. Bye.' 'Bye.'

Maddy then gave me my phone back. 'Now you've stopped abusing me.' Maddy just gave me a big hug. 'I'm so relieved that Rio's in a better state of mind now.' 'I am as well Maddy. I am as well.' 'Is Maverick going to be in Turku?' 'Should be. There's a Number 1 contenders match for the tag titles there- Powerplay vs. Bite of the Dragon.' 'Who are they?' 'It's the official name for Jaden and Kenta's team.'

After Justin Pipe had beaten Dumon by 2000 Life points and Andrew Brown had beaten Tee by 1600 Life points, the semi-final line-up was complete, and Blair was ready for her duel. 'You ready to go Blair?' 'Yeah- I'm ready. Let's go.' 'Before you go, I need to know that you're focused.'

'I am- I'm duelling for your honour master. To win for you, that is my aim.' 'Don't do this just for me, do it for you and Rio as well- she phoned earlier.' 'How is she?' 'A lot better- mentally anyway. She was very positive.' 'That's good. I'll sound happier about it after I take Akiza to school.' 'That's the spirit Blair.' 'All for my master- you showed me the path to true rightousness, and I shall repay you by winning for you, crushing all opposition that stand in my way, friend or foe.' 'That's right. Now go out there and win for me, my brainwashed warrior.' 'Yes master.' Blair then went off for her duel, and I went with her.

Point of View- Maddy

Akiza came out first, flanked by Tee to her right, and Lukas to her left. 'The following is a semi-final match-up. Introducing first, accompanied by Tee Taylor and Lukas Chipperfield, from Tacoma, Washington, she is the leader of Black Rose Inc., and the Black Rose herself- Akiza Izinski!'

Akiza came down the aisle, and seemed to consider grabbing a mic, but instead just signalled for Lukas and Tee to stay back from the duelling zone, which they did. When she got to the duelling zone, she took off her duelling jacket, and her hairband, letting her hair go wild.

Dad's music then hit, and Blair came out, with Dad and Astrid behind her. 'Introducing her opponent, accompanied by Phil Robinson-Cummings and Astrid Langvik, from Shelby, Michigan, she is one half of the Challenge Tag-Team Champions, and the Rough Diamond- Blair Flannigan!'

Blair marched down, and Dad and Astrid stayed behind her. When she got to the duelling zone, Dad just raised his fist, and then whispered something in Blair's ear that seemed to awaken something inside of her, making her primal mark pulsate with evil. It was so powerful that it briefly set my primal mark off as well as her own, and I saw Dad's and Akiza's activating. Both Blair and Akiza activated their duel disks, starting their duel.

Malmo Semi-Final: [1] Blair Flannigan LP:4000 vs. [11] Akiza Izinski LP:4000

Before the duel, Akiza started to access her Psychic powers, while Blair underwent Advanced Transformation. Dad and Astrid accepted the offered handshake from Tee and Lukas before the duel.

Turn 1- Blair- 'I'll start. I draw. I summon out Gem-Knight Garnet (Atk:1950). I throw down 1 face-down to end my turn.'

Turn 2- Akiza- 'I draw. I summon out Twilight Rose Knight (Atk:1000). Next, I activate it's ability, letting me summon out Lonefire Blossom from my hand. I now tune my Level 3 Knight and Level 3 Blossom, to summon out Queen of Thorns (Atk:2200). Queen of Thorns has a nasty ability by the way.'

'What does she do- get a magically alive thorn to attack me?' 'Not quite. We both have to pay 1000 Life points if we want to summon a monster from our hands. Queen of Thorns, destroy Gem-Knight Garnet, and give Blair a little taste of what I'm really capable of.' Queen of Thorns sent out a thorny plant to eat Garnet, damaging Blair's points (Blair LP:4000-3750).

'You like that?' 'Yeah- the pain feels so nice.' 'Good. I'll end my turn with a face-down.'

Blair- 'I draw. I activate my face-down- Silent Doom. This lets me revive Gem-Knight Garnet (Def.:0000). I now tribute it to summon out Enraged Muka Muka (Atk:1200).' 'Say goodbye to 1000 Life points.' Queen of Thorns struck Blair with a thorn, but she just grinned (Blair LP:3750-2750).

'My monster gains 400 Attack and Defence for every card in my hand. My hand has 4 cards in it, so that's another 1600 Attack points (Atk:1200-2800). Next, I activate Pot of Greed, letting me draw another two cards (Atk:2800-2400-3200). Guess what Akiza- I drew another Pot of Greed, letting me draw another two cards (Atk:3200-2800-3600).'

'I take it that's one of your tactics master?' 'Absolutely right Astrid. Blair's deck is up to it's maximum allowance of cards- 48. I built the deck myself.' 'Would you do that with me as well?' 'Absolutely. The only time I don't is either if you're up against me or if you're up against another one of our little group.'

'Are you Maddy's manager as well?' 'On an unofficial basis, yeah. Basically, I'm there if she needs support. She'd be foolish to underestimate Akiza though- there's a reason why she's a former World Champ. If anything, she's gotten better since then.' 'Just between you and me, how good is Blair?' 'She's a great duellist. I'm going to make her a World Champion- a legend. I want people to watch Blair like she used to watch me and Hannah- aspire to be just like her.'

'You think she's got the potential?' 'Absolutely. I'm just awakening her killer instinct. We all have an evil seed in us. Blair's is in full bloom- yours is starting to grow.' 'How quick does it grow?' 'It takes time. You use that time to decide how you're going to use your power- Blair chose to use it for me.'

'I will as well master.' 'I know you will. Your very heart will be tainted by the power of everything- chaos.' 'Chaos?' 'Yeah- chaos is the power that can destroy a world. A power that great can also build a world. You will use your evil seed, by letting it grow, and consume every last bit of light in you Astrid. You will fight under my banner, in my name, just as Blair does.'

'Enraged Muka Muka, destroy Queen of Thorns.' Enraged Muka Muka flew over Queen of Thorns, dropping rocks on it, and destroying it (Akiza LP:4000-2600). 'I end my turn with a face-down (Atk:3600-3200).'

Akiza- 'I draw. I activate Monster Reborn. This lets me revive a monster from my graveyard. Be reborn Lonefire Blossom (Atk:500).' 'I activate Nightmare Wheel. This stops Lonefire Blossom from attacking, being tributed, or changing it's battle position.' 'I activate my face-down- Trap Stun. This stops your traps from activating until the end of my next turn.'

'I activate Trap Stun shot ice out of it, icing up Nightmare Wheel, and making it reset. 'I now activate the ability of Lonefire Blossom, tributing her to summon out Rose Tentacles (Atk:2200).'

'I now activate Pot of Greed, letting me draw 2 cards. Next, I activate Burden of the Mighty. This reduces the Attack points of all of your monsters by their Level x100 (Atk:3200-2700). I also activate Thorn of Malice. This equips onto my Rose Tentacles because she's a Level 6 or above Plant-type monster, giving her 600 extra Attack points (Atk:2200-2800).'

'Rose Tentacles, attack Enraged Muka Muka with _Thorn of Malice!' _Rose Tentacles lashed Enraged Muka Muka with it's thorns, dealing damage to Blair (Blair LP:2750-2650). 'Your monster wasn't destroyed.' 'Yeah- I can see that.' 'Thorn of Malice has a second effect. A monster attacked by a monster equipped with Thorn of Malice can't be destroyed in that battle. It does lose 600 Attack and Defence points now (Atk:2700-2100).'

'I'll end my turn with a face-down.'

Blair's eyes glowed. 'Are you helping her in the middle of the duel?' 'For once, yes. Blair now possesses more power than you could imagine. More than me in fact.' 'Seriously? Wow- can she handle it?' 'Blair can control immense power using her very mind. It does take a lot out of her if she does it for a long time though. She has grown her strength dramatically in the past couple of months though.'

'What's changed?' 'It's a gradual process- sometimes it comes little by little, other times (like this time), it can suddenly all fall into place. Her and Rio are the most dedicated though, in the fact that they've spent the most time perfecting their powers granted by me. We're talking 3/4 hours a day spent just concentrating their powers. Akiza's the opposite- her powers are like a loose cannon. And that's because she doesn't refine her powers. She doesn't see that her Psychic powers are different from the powers that she possesses as a member of the Renegades- Icaron's powers.'

'So the powers are down to Icaron?' 'Icaron's power gives us the base. From there, we develop the power ourselves.' 'Is it concievable that someone in the club could have powers that are greater than yours?' 'It's possible that it happens, but unrealistic. Hannah was the only person whose powers were on a comparible level with mine. Maddy's are getting there, but partially sealed off for her own good. Mine are limited actually, now I come to think about it.'

Blair- 'I draw (Atk:2100-2400). I activate Overide Overlay. This lets me pay 1000 Life points, and then use my monster to Xyz summon a monster whose Rank is the same as the Level of my monster. I build the overlay network with Level 5 Enraged Muka Muka. I summon out Chaos Number 103- Ragnafinity (Atk:2800, Blair LP:2650-1650)!'

'How nice.' 'I'm not done. I now rebuild the overlay network with Rank 5 Ragnafinity. Go- Xyz Evolution! It's time to soar like the wind, and strike you down with my electrifying might. I summon out Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger (Atk:2600).' 'Why did you do that?' 'I now activate Pot of Avarice, letting me return 5 cards from my graveyard to my deck, and then, I shuffle. I then draw 2 new cards.'

'I activate Rank-up Magic Renegades Unite! With this, I summon Number 103- Ragnazero (Atk:2400). I now rank her up. Go- Chaos Xyz Evolution! I will win this, for the honour of my best friend Rio. No offence Akiza, but I must win. I summon out Chaos Number 103- Ragnafinity (Atk:2800).'

'Clever- very clever.' 'Good move Phil.' 'I didn't make her do that. I worked out what direction she was going when she used Pot of Avarice though. The only reason to use that was to recycle Ragnafinity.' 'I activate the ability of Chaos Number 103. By detaching one overlay unit, I can banish a monster on the field whose Attack points differ from it's original ones, and deal you damage equal to the difference.'

Ragnafinity spun her scythe, which saw Rose Tentacles vanish into thin air, and deep red light blasted Akiza, knocking her back (Akiza LP:2600-2000). 'Ragnafinity, finish this off. Take out Akiza with _Oblivion Ride!' _Ragnafinity leapt up, and after spinning her scythe in mid air, aimed for Akiza, who seemed to have landed awkwardly on her left leg.

'I... activate Mirror Gate!' 'No- please Akiza, no.' Mirror Gate reversed the field, so Ragnafinity hit Blair instead (Blair LP:1650-0000). Blair then slumped to her knees in tears, so Dad went over with Astrid. 'I let you down master- I let Rio down as well.' 'Blair Flannigan, if you don't get up in the next 5 seconds, no lollipops for you once I get out of here.'

We then looked over, and Rio had a video link on the big screen. 'Rio?' 'Wipe those tears Blair.' 'I let you down.' 'Seriously? I'm honoured that you'd even use my cards. Phil, sort her out.' I just hugged Blair. 'You let nobody down Blair- you stole the show there. I'm proud of you- you know that?'

Akiza then walked over. 'Not many people have me down like that Blair. I liked duelling you a lot. Thanks for pushing me.' She then handed a card to Blair. 'Black Rose Dragon? You need this.' 'I have two copies. Besides, Black Rose Dragon represents what I was- beautiful, but all too happy to destroy anything in my path without reason.'

'Oh yeah, a question for you Rio.' 'Go on master.' 'How exactly did you get up there?' 'Maddy hacked into the system.' 'It was easy. Seriously- Password is not a good password. I know it'll get me suspended for 2 weeks, but the club's more important. Besides- it's not beneficial to the WDC- they want to get this title away from me.'

Lukas and Tee then stared at Dad and Akiza. Dad and Lukas walked over to each other, before trading a card to each other, before bumping fists with each other. Dad then grabbed a mic. '£216,000 is in your bank account- your Mum can have the surgery mate. Nobody should go through what Hannah went through.'

They just hugged. 'Cheers mate- I've got to get back to Tasmania.' 'I'll get Rob to fly you there.' 'Cheers mate.' They all came back then, while Dad blew a kiss at Rio, making her fair skin blush. Justin Pipe won the second semi-final by 1400 Life points, to set up a final against Akiza.

'Hey Akiza- great duelling against Blair.' 'Yeah- I was pleased. It was nervy at the end though- she's gonna be World Champion in the next couple of years at this rate. I wouldn't be surprised if you and her were in the world final this year.' 'I would be. Last 8's gonna be my aim probably.' 'You should aim higher- you can do it.' 'Thanks Akiza.'

Blair came in before the final with some sort of silk sleeve. 'Hey Akiza, I thought this might help you. I saw that you landed awkwardly on your leg after that blow from Ragnafinity. It's just to give your leg a little more support.' 'How did you make this?' 'I stole Rhydian's scarf and cut it up. I'm gonna use the rest as some sort of coming home present for Rio.' 'That's sweet. Thanks Blair.' 'No worries.'

Akiza then left. 'Thanks for hacking into the mainframe to get Rio's message to me.' 'Have you heard her shout down the phone?' 'Nope, only in real life.' 'I've not either, and I don't want to experience it now. So I did it for the sake of a quiet life. You're doing a grand job as world number 1.' 'Thanks- I just wish I was winning more convincingly. I laboured to a win over Claude, then I got an easy enough win over Kari, before being whupped by Akiza.'

'I was just speaking to Akiza- she agrees with me.' 'On what?' 'You're going to be World Champion either this year or next. She's backing us to be battling for the title for years to come.' 'I'm not sure if I agree with her over me.' 'Exactly what I said- I don't think that I will be.'

'Are all of Serotonin coming to the next tournament?' 'Yeah- first time since what happened to Hannah.' 'I couldn't have made it through the last month without you Blair- thank you.' 'I've done nothing to help Maddy.' 'You have- you've been a rock for us. You really stepped up, and I appreciate that.'

'I've done what I could.' 'I know you have- we all appreciate it.' 'I know you do. By the way, Phil's bringing his kendo stick back for the next tournament.' 'I get you- I like the idea as well. It'll do us some good I reckon.' 'Same- that's why I requested it for myself.' 'I'll ask Dad about it later- makes us stronger.'

We then went outside for the final. Justin Pipe came out first, to a solid response, and annoying music (Cooler Than Me by Mike Posner). 'The following is the Malmo final. Introducing first, from Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, USA, he is the Halfpipe Attack- Justin Pipe". Pipe came out, and threw two fingers up towards the sky, before running down to the duelling zone, before doing a double twist backflip onto the duelling zone.

Akiza then came out, to her music. 'And his opponent, accompanied by Jana Price, Lukas Chipperfield, and Tee Taylor, from Tacoma, Washington, she is the Black Rose- Akiza Izinski!' Akiza came out, flanked by the rest of Black Rose Inc., including the empty looking Jana for the first time. When she got to the duelling zone, Pipe posed right in front of her. She responded by pushing him back to his side, and they both activated their duel disks.

Malmo Masters Final: [18] Justin Pipe LP:4000 vs. [11] Akiza Izinski LP:4000

Turn 1- Justin- "I'll start this one. I draw. I summon Gravekeeper's Nobleman (Def.:1000). I end my turn with a face-down."

Turn 2- Akiza- 'I draw. I activate Zen Garden. This gives all Xyz monsters 100 extra Attack points for every Rank they have. I now activate Rank-up Magic Renegades Unite! This lets me summon Number 40- Gimmick Puppet of Strings (Atk:3000-3800). Next, I can rank it up. Go- Chaos Xyz Evolution! I summon Chaos Number 40- Gimmick Puppet of Dark Strings (Atk:3300-4200).'

'I now activate String of Destiny, equipping it to Chaos Number 40. Now Gimmick Puppet of Dark Strings, attack with _Melody of Massacre! _Oh yeah, forgot one thing- String of Destiny. When a Gimmick Puppet monster attacks, I can look at the top card of my deck. If it's a monster, then I'm in luck- Number C40 is allowed to attack once for every Level that the drawn monster has. If it's not a monster, then the Battle Phase ends. I draw.'

'I drew Level 5 Sylvan Lotuswain, meaning that Dark Strings can attack 5 times.' The first blow from Dark Strings ran into Justin's trap (Negate Attack), but the second attack destroyed Nobleman, blowing Justin back. 'Hey- you knocked my sunglasses off man. You wanna end up like that pathetic Rio of yours?'

That didn't seem to register with Akiza. Dark Strings then attacked him again, ending the duel (Pipe LP:4000-0000). After the duel, Dad came down, and grabbed Justin by the throat. He then lifted him up for a chokeslam, but the screen showing that Akiza had won went all blurry, and then a figure appeared, with a black mask on, and what looked to be a Barian cape on.

'What is the meaning of this?' "Doomsday is coming. It shall engulf you. I see and hear everything- I know what happened with Rio. It was not your fault- a malicious being is at fault. I have no allies, I have no enemies. I am the definition of an alive ghost- I am very alive."

'Who are you?' "I could tell you now, but no- it will happen at the right time. The scripture reads as follows: Ghosts appear, then disappear. The one true love had to perish, but not in vain. At the Feast of Fools, the saviour of all worlds, the being of ice will appear, and wreak havok on all those who have wronged them in the past, present, and future. I'm coming." The masked figure then took their mask off, but we only got to see that they were white, before the picture became too blurred to see.

Dad then took a moment to recover, before chokeslamming Pipe. He then grabbed a steel pipe, and started raining down blows on Pipe, before Justin Chappell came rushing out, leading to a brawl between them. Spica came out to help Justin, but Astrid appeared with what looked to be cheesewire, making Spica flee.

Astrid seemed to consider going after Spica, but then looked over at Dad, who was just powerslamming Justin. Dad then shocked everyone by lifting Justin clean above his head, before dropping him down onto his (Dad's) knees. Dad then rested Justin on his (Dad's) knees face-down, and Astrid went into the stands, clearing everyone from the first two rows out of their seats. She then leapt out, stamping on Justin's back, forcing his ribs into Dad's knees.

Astrid then put Justin in a Gogoplata, and kept the hold on until Justin passed out. Dad then dragged Justin up, and Blair came charging in with a running kick to his face, knocking him down. Blair and Astrid then squatted down next to Justin, while Pipe turned tail. Astrid took a mic, and just said 'Goodnight', before Dad spread his arms out behind her. After Akiza took her trophy, we left.

'You ok Dad? You seemed rattled by that message.' 'First ever time I've been scared. I'm fearful for all of you lot.' 'We don't know what that message was about.' 'Exactly. I wanna protect all of you- I don't want you getting hurt.' 'We appreciate that, but we wanna help with whatever the problem is.'

'I'm just trying to think of you all Blair.' 'You need us. Whether you wanna admit it or not, you need us.' 'I know I do. If what happened to Rio, or even Hannah, happened to any of you, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself.' 'None of this is your fault. Rio's getting better now anyway.'

'You're right. Rio being back for the day tomorrow was a nice surprise eh?' 'I know. I'll make her bed- I'm really good at that.' 'Thanks Blair. I'll be picking her up from the hospital about 10am, so yeah- early start.' 'I understand that- I think we all do.' 'It'll be nice to get to know Rio.'

'Trust me Astrid- there isn't many more genuine people in this world than Rio.' 'Correction Blair- there isn't any more genuine people. No offence everyone.' 'None taken- I agree with you. She's very forgiving- after the start we made, we still learned to love each other.' 'Yeah- the change was very remarkable.'

The next morning, we were all up early for Rio's return. 'Has Phil left already?' 'Yeah- left about half 8. He's really nervous about it all.' 'I know he is- he's been up since 4 worrying about it.' 'Could you just pass me a pill please.' 'You what?' 'My diazepam. You know that I have to have one just after I get up.'

'Just don't get addicted to them.' 'I won't do, don't worry. My dosage has been reduced recently from 3 a day to 2.' 'I didn't know that, sorry.' 'I understand your concerns Jade.' 'To be honest with you, I didn't know wolfbloods could have Diazepam.' 'Yeah- just in slightly diluted doses. That's why I always have it with water.' 'Oh right.'

Half an hour later, just after we'd finished tidying up the living room, there was a knock on the door, which Jade got. 'Who is it Jade?' 'Phil.' 'Is Rio with him?' 'Dunno.' Dad then came in, and I spotted Rio just behind him. 'Hey Rio, it's great to have you back.' 'It's nice to be back.'

I then shouted up to Blair. 'Blair, Rio's back!' Blair then came flying down the stairs (almost true), before putting the brakes on just enough to avoid crashing into Rio. They then hugged. 'I've missed you.' 'I've missed you as well bestie.' 'Thanks.' 'Jade, could you just put my Diazepam back in the cupboard?' 'Sure Maddy.'

'You get used to being back Rio, I'll get on with breakfast for anyone that wants to bother.' 'I could really do with a bacon butty right now.' 'Ok, I'll get the bacon on.' 'So Rio, did you see the final yesterday?' 'No- my tablet ran out of charge, and they wouldn't let me unplug my heart monitor to plug it in.'

'Why am I not surprised by that?' 'Because it's for my own good I suppose.' 'Exactly Rio- it is for your own good. Make any friends in hospital?' 'None- why would I make friends there when I've got you lot. Blair for example- you've been like a sister to me since I joined up with you lot. And Maddy, you're a bit like a Mum to me in a way.'

That brought a couple of tears to my eye. 'I love you Rio, don't ever forget it.' 'I wouldn't do, don't worry about Maddy. You're my bestie as well.' 'Same here- I know we didn't get on to start off with, but I think we've learned to love each other.' 'I don't think that- I know that. Seriously Rio- we're overjoyed to have you back here, even if it is only for the day at the moment.'

'Yeah- I almost forgot about that.' 'Don't worry- I'll be back here permanently in no time. Phil, where's breakfast?' 'Coming in a couple of minutes Rio.' 'Thank you.' 'No worries. You're all my favourites here.' 'Aww, thanks Dad.' 'You're welcome Maddy. You sure you don't want breakfast?' 'Go on then- you convinced me. Same as Rio please.' 'Wouldn't it have been easier to just ask for a bacon butty?' 'I suppose so.' 'Coming right up.'

After Rio and Maddy had eaten their breakfast, Rio brightened up slightly. 'Thanks for that master.' 'You can call me Phil if you want.' 'I know- I called you what I wanted to call you.' 'No worries. That nice?' 'Better than the stuff you get in hospital that's for sure. I think I'll go up to my room for a while now.' 'Okay dokes, see you later.' 'Bye.'

Point of View- Rio

About half an hour after I had gone up to my room, I got up, and knocked a picture of Phil and Hannah down, with the glass smashing. That really upset me, and I got even more upset after I looked at the picture, and Hannah vanished from it. It seemed like Hannah's existance had been completely erased.

The voice came back, and I knew that my time was over. So while Jodi and Akiza (who had just got in) were speaking to Blair and Phil near the front door, I snuck downstairs, right behind Jodi, and went into the top cupboard in the kitchen, and grabbed the half jar of Maddy's Diazepam tablets, before sneaking back upstairs.

I knew I wasn't thinking straight, but I did what I had to do. Trying to hold back the tears, I wrote a goodbye note to everyone, apologising to them for everything, and telling them that I'd serve Hannah in the afterlife. The tears streamed down onto the paper, so before I changed my mind, I downed all of the tablets, and then lay down, slowly closing my eyes for the last time ever.

Point of View- Maddy

After Jodi had stopped talking to Dad, I went to check on how many tablets I had left (a weekly check of mine). When I went into the cupboard, I couldn't find the jar, no matter how hard I looked. 'Jade.' 'What is it?' 'Where did you put my Diazepam?' 'Where I found them.' 'They're not there.'

Jade then came to look. 'Strange- I know I put them there.' 'Blair, do you know where my Diazepam's gone?' 'Nope, sorry.' 'Don't even think of asking me- I don't have a clue Maddy.' 'Do you think I should disturb Rio to ask her?' 'Yeah- she won't mind you asking her an important question.' 'Thanks Dad.'

I then went upstairs. 'Rio, do you know where my tablets are?' No response. So, figuring that she might be asleep, I knocked on the door. 'Rio, do you know where my Diazepam's gone?' Still no response. I went to open the door, but something heavy seemed to be leant against it from her side, like a chest of drawers or something. So I barged my way in by using my shoulder.

'Rio, do you know where' I saw her lay on her bed, smiling, with blood trickling from her mouth. 'Rio, wake up.' Nothing. 'Rio, wake up!' Still nothing. Then I noticed the empty jar of Diazepam on the floor, with a note affixed to it. So I shouted down to everyone else. 'Everyone, help- Rio's dying!'

Everyone then rushed up. When they got in, Dad immediately started CPR. 'What does the note say Maddy?' I then read the statement out to everyone, who listened in disbelief and horror, apart from Dad, who was pumping away at Rio's chest.

'To everyone whom it may concern. I am sorry that it had to end this way, I know I am not thinking straight, but I need to do this. I have loved every single moment with you- the good, the bad, and the somewhere in between.

I know this is unfair on you, and as you can tell fro the state of the paper, this was not easy for me either. However, I felt I had do this. I was responsible for Hannah's death, and as Birchall told me, I have to pay for my sins- as a Barian and as a Human.

I love every single one of you, and I want you to live stronger, love harder, and fight with all of your might in my memory. I swear that I will serve Hannah in the afterlife, just as I served her in this life. Who knows- maybe, one day, we will all be re-united with each other, in paradise.

Goodbye everyone. With love and regret, Rianna (Rio) Kastle/Marin.' Everyone was just dumbstruck. 'Phil, can you feel a pulse?' 'Very faint pulse- I think the CPR might be working.' 'Can you get her to the hospital in under 25 minutes? Because if you can't, we'll have to do emergency surgery here.'

'Can we use Primal Eolas?' 'No- the temporal disruption is too dangerous. I know exactly what I'm going to do.' Dad then ran downstairs with Rio, and grabbed his red and black leathers. 'What are you doing Dad?' 'The limiter's off on the GT.' 'What's the top speed then?' 'Don't know- I'm about to find out.'

'Can you steer it at such a high speed?' 'Don't know. This might not revive Rio.' He then put his leathers and helmet on. 'But if maybe, I'll die trying. Caution to the wind, pedal to the mettle, get... ready... to... FLY!' He then sprinted out, put Rio in the back of the GT, activated the unlimter and Nitro-Glycerine turbo boosters, and revved the engine up. 'I'll see you at MRI.' 'See you there Dad.' He then accelerated away, at lightning speed.

Point of View- Phil

I was talking to Rio while we were travelling at over 400 mph. 'Rio, just hang on a little longer- we'll be there soon. Don't leave me now.' 3 minutes later, and 6 minutes after setting off, we got to MRI- Manchester Royal Infermary. So I stopped the GT, and sprinted up to Akiza, who was waiting with a hospital bed.

'Right- this is Rio Kastle. 17 years of age, on day release from hospital, has consumed approximately 767 grams of Diazepam in one go. CPR has been started, faint pulse, sats 37 over 19, heart rate 23 bpm, not breathing, we need to get her into intensive care asap, we need 7 mg saline to flush the drugs out of the system. Phil, keep pumping.'

When we got her into the ward, a male doctor took over with the CPR. 3 minutes later though, he stopped. 'There's no more we can do- there is no pulse, heart rate 6 bpm, Rio Kastle pronounced' I then knocked him out, and took over the CPR myself. I did it as hard and fast as possible, thanking my lucky stars that Hannah had me up to speed with first aid just days before her death.

I then threw my leathers to the ground, and continued the CPR, getting more force into it because I was going bare-chested now.

'How's it looking Akiza?' 'Faintest of pulses, heart rate 17bpm and rising, sats 37 over 26, no breathing still.' 'I've got to keep pumping. I will not lose Rio as well.' I then pumped my heart out (figure of speech obviously), not taking a moment's rest for breath even.

21 minutes later, and 34 minutes after Maddy had discovered her, still nothing. 'I don't think it's working. I'm not giving up though. You still ok to pump Phil?' I'll do this all night if I have to.' There was then a massive gasp of breath. 'Heart rate 46, shallow breaths, stronger pulse.' I then collapsed of exhaustion on top of her.

Point of View- Blair

Straight away, me and Maddy checked on Phil. 'He's just exhausted- he put his heart and soul into that.' 'Will Rio live?' 'When we found her, I thought we had no chance. Now I'd say it's 50-50. She's been given the best chance possible by Phil. I know we've not always seen eye-to-eye, but without him, she'd be going to a mortuary right now.'

20 minutes later, Phil woke up. 'She's dead, isn't she? I failed.' 'You've given her every chance. She's fighting for life.' 'I'll help her then.' 'It's impossible girls- this is a fight Rio must fight alone.' 'Ok, we'll just support her then.'

Point of View- Phil

11:15pm, and 10 hours after Rio arrived at the hospital, no change. So, with Blair and Maddy asleep, I threw the dice one last time. I walked over to Rio, and kissed her gentally on the lips. She then reflexed slightly. So I tried it again, and this time, she seemed to respond to it. So I tried breathing into her airways.

She then left out a massive gasp, and her eyes opened. 'Maddy, Blair, you might want to see this.' They then slowly woke up. 'So is this heaven? Doesn't look very heavenly.' 'Rio, this isn't heaven- you didn't die.' 'What- I'm alive?' 'Seems so.' We then kissed in a friendly way, just as Maddy woke.

'She's alive?' 'Yeah- seems that way.' 'You did a good job Dad. Blair, your best mate isn't dead.' 'Uh- I know you're not.' 'I was talking about Rio.' 'You're kidding me.' 'Hey Blair.' Blair then woke up, and hugged Rio. 'You're alive- he did it.' 'Who did what?' Not wanting the praise, I snuck away from the ward.

'Phil- he revived you. The CPR worked- he was pumping for over half an hour earlier.' Rio then noticed me leaving. 'Excuse me, you're going nowhere- I've not thanked you yet.' 'What for.' 'Bringing me back to my senses. I'm sorry for what I did.' 'Rio, I'm not ashamed of you- I'm thankful you're alive.'

An unwelcome visitor then came, as Blair was phoning Akiza. 'Nash.' 'Phil.' 'Brother?' Nash then walked past me. 'Rio, I heard what happened. You survived?' 'Yeah- it was thanks to Phil's quick thinking. He performed CPR for over half an hour to keep me alive.' Nash then squared up to me.

'I'll go then.' 'Stay- if you want to, that is. I wanted to thank you. You know what- I was wrong about you. I thought you were a control freak, an egomaniac.' 'Not the first person to call me those.' 'I think I was thinking of myself as it turns out- I was wrong about you. Everything you've been doing was to try and protect Rio, and I see that now. Thanks for saving my sister.'

'I was wrong about you as well Nash- everything you did was for your sister. You tried to take her back to Barian world because you were concerned that I wasn't going to protect her as fiercly as you would. I like Rio because of who she is, not what she has. What matters is Rio, not out petty squabble.'

The two of us then shook hands, as Akiza walked in. 'I got here as soon as I could. It's great to see that you're awake Rio.' 'Thanks- thank you for your help.' 'No offence to anyone else, but Phil's the one who saved your life.' 'Yeah- I've been told. Have you three been here all night?' 'Yeah- we're not leaving until the morning.'

'It's my job to oversee your progress, so I'll stay as well.' 'It's ok- I'm going back to sleep soon.' 'I would stay, but Dumon wanted a meeting back in Barian world. See you around Phil.' He then left. 'He does have a heart really- he just doesn't get on with most people.' 'I think we'd worked the second bit out Rio.'

'I can't believe what I did. I got freaked out after seeing Hannah dissappear from the picture.' 'What do you mean?' 'I knocked down a photo of Hannah and you, and when I looked at the photo, Hannah disappeared from it- like just vanished you know.' 'I understand what you mean, but not how it happened.'

'Sorry I tried to top myself.' 'What matters is that you're alive Rio. We just need to get your strength back up.' 'Yeah- I know. It'll be some time before I'm allowed out again.' 'We'll see how things go Rio- we'll have a clearer picture in the next couple of days.' 'Thanks.' 'You scared us Rio- you really did. Just promise never to do that to us again.' 'I promise.'

'I think she's got the message now.' 'Blair, I think you're right. Do you want us to leave you in peace Rio?' 'No- stay if you want to- I don't mind. Phil, I've got something for you.' She then put her entire deck in my hand. 'While I'm off, feel free to use this how you choose, if you wart to. I hope it's useful to you '

'Why me?' 'No offence to anyone else, but you did kinda save my life. You can share the cards out if you want.' 'I'll take it with me, and see what we can use.' 'Yeah- great. As long as it's proving useful, that's what I care about.' 'Thank you Rio.' Blair and Rio then looked at each other, before Blair gave me Number 103 and Chaos Number 103.

'Thanks Blair, thanks Rio.' 'I'm sure you can use them.' 'I can, thanks. I've learned something from your letter though Rio.' 'Ignore that please- I wasn't sane.' 'Something resonated inside of me. I'm going to try and enjoy life again now, so thank you Rio.' 'I'll try to as well Dad. You can't be enjoying yourself on your own now.' 'Okays. Akiza, can I ask you something?'

'Sure thing Phil- fire away.' 'Would we be able to bring food in to Rio while she's back in here?' 'Strictly, it's against the policy of the hospital, but I'm in charge, so I'll be leniant. One meal a day, starting tomorrow. If it's ok with Rio that is. And no trying to skirt around the rules either.'

'I'd love it, thanks. How about tea each day?' 'Yeah- we can do that.' 'I'll do the deliveries- Primal Eolas is the fastest way of getting around this side of Andromeda.' 'Who's the clever puppy then?' 'I heard that.' 'You were meant to. Thanks Mads.' 'Not a problem Dad.' 'Just don't take too long.' 'I'll try not too Dad.'

'Will Lukas be available to face Birchall in Finland?' 'He's assured me that he'll be there. Apparently his Mum's booked in for surgery tomorrow, so he's staying in Australia for a few days.' 'Fair enough.' 'Which cards did you exchange in Malmo?' 'Our signatures- Cyber Dragon, and Ally of Justice Catastor.' 'Nice.'

'Oh, and Maddy, I found your hoodies- the ones we got you for your birthday.' 'Oh, where were they? I've been searching for them for weeks.' 'They'd got mixed up with my clothes. They're in the washing machine still.' 'Thanks Dad. Is there anyone at our house tonight?' 'Yeah- Jana and Jade. Jodi's helping Astrid settle in, and Sean's gone to New Zealand on business.'

'What deck are you going to be using in Finland Dad?' 'I've decided to go old school- Armed Dragon.' 'Wow- nice deck. How long is it since you used it?' 'A very long time. It's been in storage for at least 4 years. I don't use it very often because it's a very tempremental deck. The advent of Xyz monsters should give it a bit more consistancy though.'

'What do you mean?' 'The Armed Dragon monsters evolve themselves through their abilities. But you have to fulfill certain conditions. To get Level 3 to Level 5, it has to be on your field during the standby phase of your turn. Level 5 has to destroy a monster in battle and still be around at the end phase to become Level 7. And Level 10 has to be summoned from your hand by tributing Level 7, and can't be summoned any other way. Level 5 + Level 7 can be summoned from the deck, and don't need to be summoned using their counterparts.'

'Sounds complicated.' 'Yeah, I know. Maddy, how do you fancy wearing some more gold?' 'Go on.' 'The French Revolution want to take us on.' 'And...' 'They are the Canadian Tag-Team Champions. We'll hold them to ransom, telling them that if they don't give us what we want, they don't get what they want.'

'And if they refuse?' 'We've got a blank contract for a tag title match, any time, any place, in the next 6 months. That includes the Canadian tag championships.' 'Nice one Dad. Can I borrow that baseball cap of yours for our duel?' 'Yeah, sure thing.' 'Can I come down with you?' 'If you want.' 'Thanks. You sure you'll be ok without us Rio?'

No response. 'Don't worry Blair, she's asleep.' 'That's good. She sure can sleep.' 'Yeah- I know.' 'You 3 get going- I'll keep an eye on this one.' 'Thanks. We'll be back as soon as the hospital opens for visitors at 8.' 'Ok, see you in the morning. I won't be flying out with you to Turku tomorrow, because I need to look after Rio.'

'Oh yeah- Blair, I need to ask you something.' 'Anything master.' 'Could you take charge of organising Serotonin tomorrow?' 'Sure.' 'Their updated uniforms are in their wardrobe still. Is Belle going to join Serotonin?' 'No- she's too bright for us to do that. She's much more useful to us with her mind.'

'Yeah- agreed.' 'Dad, are you going to have a haircut soon? Your hair is nearly as long as mine.' 'I really can't be arsed- maybe it's time to have something different. Your hair still looks beautiful Maddy- as does yours Blair.' 'Stop flirting.' 'I'm not flirting- I'm being honest. You can have me if you want though Blair.' 'We'll see Phil. If things have settled down in the new year, then we'll consider getting together.'

**Will Rio's recovery go well? Will Phil and Maddy get their title shot? And will Lukas get Hannah's deck back to where it belongs? Find out in Renegades: A New Dawn Chapter VI- Justice Quest.**


	6. Justice Quest

Renegades: A New Dawn

Chapter VI- Justice Quest

Point of View- Phil

'Right- I'm going out.' 'Where are you going Dad?' 'I'm getting Jade, Kris, and Astrid their ID's today.' 'Great- thanks Dad.' 'No worries. Now I think of it, Taylor, Kelly, and Ashley also need theirs doing, so it's gonna be a long morning.' 'Do you need help?' 'It's ok- Jodi's helping me out. I want you both to be ready to go when I get back, ok?' 'Yeah, sure. What are we doing in terms of Rio's tea while we're away?' 'Akiza said that she'd sort Rio out while we're away.'

'Is Jana coming with us?' 'Yeah- as a member of Black Rose Inc. thanks to you.' 'So it worked then?' 'Yeah- she's fully committed to Black Rose Inc. now. You did a good job there Maddy- well done.' 'Thanks Dad. I'm trying to live up to your standards.' 'You're doing well Maddy.'

I then grabbed my jacket. 'You sure you don't need us?' 'Yeah- I'll be fine. I promise you that. Why don't you get your decks ready?' 'Good idea Dad. I'll be over for the meeting later.' 'Great. Oh, and Blair, please start washing your bowl after you've had breakfast- it's not entirely fair on everybody else.' 'Oh, sorry.' 'No worries. See you later then.' 'Bye.'

I then drove to the base. While I was on the motorway, there was a phone-call, so I got the caller up on the screen. 'Hi master, just checking where you are.' 'Hi Jodi, nice to have you calling me. I'm on the M62 near Leeds at the moment. You alright?' 'Yeah- just got back from visiting Rio.'

'Oh yeah, how is she?' 'She's not too bad though. She's dangerously thin though.' 'Go on.' 'Akiza reckons that a healthy weight would be 8-9 stone.' 'And...' 'Rio weighs 3 stone, 10 ounces.' 'Gee-zus. We'll work on something.' 'Seriously Phil, I'm real concerned- I mean she was never the biggest frame, but she's really looking pale. Sorry- I just thought we were getting somewhere.'

'I understand Jodi, and I promise that we will get her back to health.' 'I can't imagine how bored she must be there.' 'Yeah- I'm trying to think of something to ease her boredom. How's Astrid settling in?' 'She absolutely loves it here- it's the first time she's ever had a room-mate. It's the first time I have as well.'

'So she's happy here then?' 'Yeah- she's absolutely loving it. I don't think she's stopped smiling all day.' 'That's good.' 'Yeah- she's just trying to make herself look presentable at the moment. Is Jade with you?' 'No- she's been shopping in Newcastle today, so I'll pick her up there.'

'Alright. Is Kris coming?' 'Maddy said earlier that he's on the plane here at the moment- he's moving into the base today. He's been back in Salem packing his stuff.' 'Oh right. Do you need anything setting up for the ID's?' 'Yeah- please could you log into the computer. My username is -Cummings, and my password is M184EVER, all capitals, and no spaces.' 'Understood.'

'While I'm at it, I'll appoint you as an administrator.' 'Thanks master.' 'Not a problem now. I'd love to keep chatting, but there's someone else I need to ring.' 'Ok, see you in about an hour?' 'More like 40 minutes now. See you soon, bye.' 'Bye Jodi.' As soon as the call ended, I pressed the voice recognition system. 'Call Donna's Lab.' The computer then did that.

'Hello?' 'Hi Donna, it's me- Phil.' 'Hey, what's up?' 'I wanted to know how much work you've currently got on.' 'It's pretty clear at the moment- just yesterday I treated myself to a day off. What do you want me to do for you?' 'I was wondering if you could create another Primal Number.'

'Yeah, sure. Any ideas for it?' 'No, but it's for Jodi, so it needs to be Psychic-type.' 'Yeah- I can do that for you. Call this one a favour- Jodi's the reason my workload's been reduced.' 'Go on.' 'She gave me some assistance last week. Monthly Revenue was up 98% last week alone compared to November.' 'Brilliant.' 'Yeah, I know. I've even had time to dye my hair. It's turned out red instead of brown though.' 'What matters is whether or not you like it.' 'I think I look great. You know that if you ever need to get it away from it all, you can come down to the lab- I'll happily talk to you.' 'Yeah- thanks for that Donna. I'm going now, because I'm just coming onto the A1 now. See you later- bye.'

When I came off the phone, I put my sunglasses on, and then accelerated away. 25 minutes later, I met Jade on the outskirts of Newcastle. 'Jump in- I'm 20 minutes late.' 'Are you? I've only been here a couple of minutes, and I thought I was early. Just to check- what's the time?' '11:40.' 'My watch says that it's half 10.' 'Try getting a new battery.' 'Good idea.'

We then left for the base. 'Get anything good?' 'Yeah- a couple of big jackets for the cold weather. Did Maddy tell you that I was staying?' 'No. I thought that was the reason you and Blair split up.' 'No- I love Blair, but she keeps vanishing. She's acting really oddly as well- just last week I saw her speaking to thin air, promising to help it revive itself.' 'Weird- I've not experienced any of this with Blair, other than her being possessed a couple of times.'

'I really don't know what's going on.' 'I don't either Jade.' 'Do you think it's possible that someone dead is talking to her.' 'Now you've completely lost it Jade- it's impossible. And that's coming from someone who pledges allegiance to a Swedish warrior from 600 years ago and what are Freja and Lydia doing on the A1?' 'Who?' 'I'll be back in a minute.' I parked the car up, and went to see what Freja and Lydia were on the A1 for.

When I walked over to them, they were both wearing sunglasses and leather jackets. 'What are you two doing here?' 'We were getting a taxi to the base, but it broke down. We've spent the last 10 minutes trying to get Wi-Fi connection so we can find out how far we are from the base.'

'Jump in then.' 'Cheers master.' 'Are we ok to spend the night with you?' 'If you're ok to fly out to Finland, yeah. You can even sleep in the same room as me if you want.' 'Nice.' 'Oh, and Freja, can I speak to you a moment?' 'Sure.' We then went to one side. 'You want to sleep with me? Tonight's your chance.' 'You sure you're over Hannah?' 'No, but I've got to accept that she's not coming back.' 'Me and you tonight.' 'Yep- you and your master baby.' 'I'm allowed to call you that?' 'Yeah.' We then kissed each other.

We then went back to Lydia. 'So are you two together then?' 'We're sleeping together tonight, and seeing how it goes.' 'Good for you two. You going to tell Maddy and Blair?' 'No- we'll tell them if we actually get together.' 'Cool. Who's that in the car?' 'Jade- Rio's mate.' 'Oh yeah, met her in Norway. Never actually introduced ourselves to her.'

When we got in the car, Jade seemed surprised. 'So you're Lydia and Freja?' 'Yeah- Lydia's always got her hair up, I usually have it down.' 'What happened to moving in?' 'Flatmate begged us to stay. So we stayed for a couple more weeks. You don't mind us putting out bags in the boot do you?' 'Of course not- that's what it's there for. I'm just off to the base to sort out membership stuff- new members. And I've got to remove Amber and Velvet from the official roster.'

'What happened with Amber?' 'She was supposed to be scouting for us, but she's recently been given 10 years in prison for dealing and possessing Class A and B drugs. Over 2 kilos of Heroin was found in her flat. Club policy states that we throw out anyone convicted for drugs offences or anyone who has a jail sentence of more than 18 months.'

'How do you two know Phil?' 'Met him when we were 4. Known him over 15 years now.' 'Yeah- November '97 wasn't it?' 'I thought it was 1998.' 'You might be right- it was a very long time ago.' 'Freja helped recruit Hannah. Still got the tape of it somewhere in the base.' 'Yeah- probably in the inner sanctum knowing you.' 'Knowing me, yeah.'

We eventually reached the base, nearly half an hour late. When we got there, Astrid was waiting outside for us. 'Hi Astrid, sorry we're late.' 'No worries- am I first up?' 'Yeah. We'll be ready in a couple of minutes.' 'Great- thanks.' 'No worries.' 'Am I ok to move in here next week?' 'Sure Jade.' 'Thanks.' 'No worries. Anyway, let's get this show on the road. Lydia, you man the camera, Freja, you write the details down by hand in the event of a cyber attack. You're second up Jade.'

Just as I said that, Kris came up behind us. 'Hi guys- you're not leaving, are you?' 'No- only just got here.' 'I know I'm late, but my plane was delayed by an hour from Boston Airport- fuel leak.' 'No worries. You're the third person up, after Jade and Astrid.' 'Understood.' We then went to get on with the memberships.

Astrid was first, and she'd sorted her bed head out by the time of her appointment. 'Right- I need some details. Full name.' 'Astrid Gunda Elenora Langvik.' 'Ok, nationality.' 'Norwegian.' 'Ok, that's smashing. Date of birth I know- It's the same as Maddy's, and you're living here, so Address isn't applicable, so any allergies or medical conditions?' 'I've got mild epilepsy, and I've got something called Chrons Disease.' 'I know what that is, it's a bowel problem.' 'Yeah.'

'Ok. Any allergies?' 'Severe allergy to walnuts- I can't even touch them. I'm ok with other nuts, but walnuts make me swell up like a balloon.' 'Understood. You were recruited by me, so that's ok, and do you have any next of kin?' 'Yeah- Elenora Beate Hofferson IV- my Mum. My Dad's in and out of jail for various petty crimes, and I've disowned Dragan.'

'Ok, that's all good. Criminal record?' 'No- I'm proud to say that I have never considered commiting a crime in my life.' 'That is very noble Astrid.' 'Do you have a record?' 'Yeah- a couple of convictions for assault when I was younger. One of them was actually against your brother after he raped Hannah.'

'I'm sorry about that.' 'Astrid, you're not responsible for the sins of your brother. Anyway, I just need to take a photo of you now.' 'Ok.' Astrid then stood in front of the camera, and smiled. Freja then took the photo. 'Right- just sending it to the printer now. Jodi, could you get that?' 'Absolutely.' Jodi then collected Astrid's ID badge. 'Right- here you go Astrid. Your uniform will be through any day now, so that's all done.' 'Great- thank you.' 'No worries. Jade.' 'Coming.'

Astrid then left, and Jade came in, tying her hair back in a loop. 'Full name.' 'Jade Clara Goocheneyad.' 'Nationality.' 'I've got two passports- Iran and USA.' 'Ok, duel nationality. Date of birth?' '19/05/97.' 'Ok, that's smashing. Your address will be here soon, so I'll just put that. Medical conditions?'

'Nope- I do have a history of breaking my leg though. That's not a disease though, it's just really unlucky I think.' 'Fair enough, although you might want to get it checked out sometime. Allergies?' 'None- they call me acid gob at home, because I'll eat nearly anything.'

'Very good nickname that. I used to be nicknamed Babemagnet. It's just a pity that I was the person giving myself the nickname.' ' Yeah- it figures.' 'Next of kin?' 'What's that?' 'Relatives.' 'Reza Goocheneyad- my Dad, and Lizzy Goocheneyad- my Mum.' 'Ok, that all checks out. Criminal record?'

'Yeah- I have one.' 'What have you been convicted of. Please note that we will cross-reference it with Rio if she stops suffering from amnesia.' 'Amnesia?' 'Yeah- she can't remember anything from the last 3 months at the moment.' 'Oh right. By the way, I've been convicted of a few things in my youth.'

'Go on.' 'I was given a verbal warning for possessing Cocaine when I was 13. I've also had a couple of convictions for minor offences- scratching a car, and last year for disturbing the peace- I had my music on at full blast at gone midnight.' 'No jail time?' 'No- never been sent to jail.'

'Fair enough. We aren't that strict here in terms of criminal activities because we know that we all make mistakes. But we will take action if it happens over and over again, because we want to protect the integrity of our club. Policy states that if you're convicted 5 times or more in the same year, we have to have a chat with you about your discipline. 10 times, and club protocol demands that you're suspended until you can go six weeks without a conviction. Understand?'

'Yeah. I've not been in trouble for a year now, and I'm hoping that the club can give me something worthwhile to do.' 'Out of interest, what encouraged you to join?' 'Two words.' 'Let me guess- Rio Kastle.' 'Correct. I heard about her joining the Renegades, and I saw her with you- she looked so happy and at home.'

'She's fitted in really well.' 'She was really quiet when she was younger, and very reliant on her brother. But she's finally getting things together now.' 'Yeah- I hear you.' 'She's still in touch with some of my mates in Twin Falls, and she was talking about how you were "as hot as fuck", but that "she knew that she loved you too much to ever be in a relationship with you".'

'Wow. Did she talk about anyone else in the club much?' 'Yeah- she mentioned that Blair was the funniest person she's ever met, and that Hannah was really sweet. This was at the time when her and Maddy weren't getting on, and she said that she didn't know what she had to do get on with Maddy, but she was confident that they'd learn to get on.'

'Did she know that Maddy was a wolfblood?' 'No, she didn't even know that I was. She'd heard of them though, and always wanted to meet one because she was fascinated by them. What was your first thought on Rio?' 'I first met her while I was on my hiatus from the club that you've probably heard about. I was fascinated by her- I even duelled her.'

'What was the result?' 'She wiped the floor with me- 4000 Life point victory. It wasn't like I didn't duel her, but she completely dominated me- every time I tried something, she just closed me down. After the duel, she mentioned that she was an outcast, and then vanished.'

'Wow. You need anything else?' 'Yeah- photo time.' 'Ok.' She then walked over to the camera. 'Whenever you're ready Lydia.' 'Ready.' She then took the photo. 'Jodi.' 'I'm on it.' 'Thanks.' 'Not a problem master.' Jodi then picked the I.D. up from the printer. 'Jade, this is your I.D. It allows you to let yourself into the base and log in to the base's central computer. You can't access everything though because you're not an administrator.'

'Understood. Can I ask you something, just off the record.' 'Sure- fire away.' 'Did you and Rio really kiss in Riga?' 'No- we've kissed twice. The first time was in Australia at the start of the season, and the second time was yesterday in the hospital, and that woke her up from her coma.'

'Wow. Is she a good kisser?' 'Yeah. She has got the world's coldest lips though- she needed a hot chocolate afterwards to warm them up. But that's a different story altogether.' 'Is she at Stonybridge A&E?' 'No- we took her to the nearest hospital, which was Manchester Royal Infirmary. About 5 minutes away from where I was born.'

'Wow. I know that she really enjoys seeing you and spending time with you.' 'I enjoy spending time with her as well. What happened yesterday was completely my fault.' 'What do you mean?' 'She'd been self-harming, and I had serious doubts about whether yesterday was a good idea. I vetoed it though- I let it happen. And we weren't keeping an eye on her like we should have done.'

'Don't blame yourself.' 'Yeah- it wasn't your fault Dad.' Maddy then tapped me on the shoulder from behind. 'What are you doing here?' 'I actually came because I was worried that the camera might make Jade go funny- the flash has a weird effect on some wolfbloods.'

'Don't worry about that- Jodi switched the flash off when setting it up this morning.' 'Fair enough. It wasn't your fault Dad. I've just worked it out- the voice was never Spica or Vector. It was Don Thousand.' 'How do you work that out?' 'Vector and Spica wouldn't have enough power to get into Rio's head like that.'

'Your evidence is?' 'Nash's word. He told me that Vector isn't as powerful as him. Vector's not even as powerful as Rio now- her Barian powers have evolved.' 'Wow- what do you mean by evolved?' 'It's simple Jade. Rio's powers have grown as she has- she's a much stronger person than the one that came to us. She's got discipline, and her power reflects that.'

'I get you Maddy. You can't truly control your strength unless you are in the right mindset for it.' 'Exactly- that's why Rio doesn't use her Barian form very much.' 'Of course- it's not that she doesn't want to use her Barian form, it's that she doesn't have the faith in herself to control it. Maddy, you're a genius.'

'Thanks.' 'Could you drive me to the hospital where Rio is later?' 'Sure- I'm going down there anyway, and then I'm headed for the airport to fly out to Finland. It's a long flight, so we'll need to stop off for fuel in Helsinki probably.' 'Fair enough. I'll stay behind with Rio.' 'Talking about the tournament actually, I need to let the WDC know about our little plan.' 'See you later.' 'Bye Jade.'

I then got on the phone to the WDC headquarters. "Hello, this is the World Duelling Championships headquarters. How may I help you?" 'Hi- I have an appointment with Claus Jacobsen.' 'Name please." 'The appointment just says Robinson-Cummings.' "Let's see- yep, you have an appointment." 'I'm busy, so could we do it over the phone?' "I'll ask him." "Pass the phone over." "I am passing you over to Mr. Jacobsen now." 'Thanks.'

"Hello." 'Hi, it's Phil here.' "Ah yes- you wanted to talk to me about the duel requested by the French Connection.' 'Yes- we were wondering if you had a line to them, because we would like to negotiate a contract for in Turku.' "I will try and contact them now." He managed to get through. "Mr. Bonaparte, about your request." "I take it they rejected?" "No- quite the opposite. They want to negotiate a contract to face you tomorrow." "Ok, pass them over."

'We're not messing around. You get to face us in Turku, 3-2 handicap match, on one condition.' "Go on." 'You put the Canadian Tag-Team Championships on the line. If you don't, we'll just cash in our tag title shot on you.' "In that case, we accept." 'Good- see you in Finland. Oh, and enjoy your titles, because they're not staying with you.' I then hung up the phone.

'Good job Dad.' 'Thanks. I knew they wouldn't be able to resist the idea of a handicap match.' 'Exactly.' 'Even better than that, it won't be a handicap duel.' 'What do you mean?' 'Under the WDC's own laws, titles cannot be defended in a handicap duel.' 'So...' 'So it's going to be 3-3.'

'Who's gonna team up with us?' 'I'll give you the choice- Freja, Lydia, Kris, or Jodi.' 'Jodi's our best bet I reckon. Freja and Lydia haven't got as much experience, and I don't trust Kris still.' 'That's sorted then. Jodi, could you come over a moment.' 'Sure, what's up master?' 'How do you fancy teaming up with me and Maddy in Finland?'

'What do you mean?' 'We've agreed to face the French Connection in a 3-2 handicap duel. But titles can't be defended in handicap duels, so the WDC will ask us to find a tag partner. We've chosen you as our wing-mate.' 'It would be my honour master.' 'Good. You have 24 hours to get your deck ready.' 'Thanks.'

Kris then came over. 'Oh yeah- your registration.' 'That's right.' 'Full name please.' 'Kristoffer James Travis III.' 'Ok, nationality?' 'Duel nationality- I was born in Birmingham, and lived there until I was 17.' 'So English and American?' 'Yep- both passports.' 'Ok, that's smashing.'

'Next one- Date of Birth.' '26/04/89.' 'Ok, that's all good. Next of kin.' 'My dad is Kristoffer Mike Travis Jr, my Mum is Jolene Travis nee Jolene Page, and my brother is Mitchell Travis.' 'That's smashing thanks. Criminal record?' 'Yeah- I've been convicted of Car Theft when I was 20. I got 9 months inside for it as part of a plea bargain, and I've not been in trouble since then.'

'Ok, fair enough- we accept that people make mistakes. Medical issues that we need to know?' 'I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 9, and I've got a slight heart defect- it goes out of rhythm occasionally, and I need to be in hospital overnight.' 'Ok, thanks for that Kris. How often?' 'Every year to 18 months- I've never been kept in hospital for more than 48 hours because of it.'

'Ok, that's great thanks. Just need your photo taking now for your I.D. card.' Ok, thanks.' He then went over to the black screen. 'When you're ready Lydia.' She then pushed the trigger, and the photo was taken, and Jodi collected the I.D. card. 'Here you go Kris- your I.D. card.' 'Thanks.' He then left.

'Anything else to do Dad?' 'Nope- that's it. I'll get on with some of your paperwork now- you just relax here.' Belle then came up to us. 'Hi, could you do my registration if you're not too busy?' 'Sure. Jodi, could you reload the printer with I.D. paper please.' 'Sure thing.' Belle then put her hair up in a clip.

'Right- name.' 'Do I have to tell you my full name, because Belle's not short for Isabelle.' 'If you could please- we'll try our best not to laugh, but we're only human.' 'Half human in my case.' 'Ok- my actual name is... Tinkerbelle.' Maddy couldn't help but burst out laughing, while I resisted the temptation, and just smirked.

'Sorry- so Tinkerbelle Dingle?' 'Yeah- because I was born on Christmas Day.' 'Ok then- date of birth?' 'Christmas Day 1996.' 'Ok, 25/12/96- that's all good. Next of kin?' 'I just want to get away from most of them.' 'Anyone you're willing to give me?' 'Cain Dingle- my half-brother. Same Dad- he's his illegitimate son with his own sister-in-law.'

'Ok, thanks. Nationality?' 'English- from Yorkshire.' 'Great- thanks. Nice where you live?' 'Yeah- gets a little boring though when you don't leave the same village much.' 'Yeah- I can imagine. Any medical things I need to know?' 'I'm being treated for Paranoia currently. And I'm taking sleeping pills for chronic insomnia.'

'Alright, thanks. Criminal record in full please.' '3 years sentence for Manslaughter, I was busted out after 9½ months. I've also been done for stealing once, but the verdict was overturned because of a confession from somebody else.' 'Ok, thanks. With all things like manslaughter, we have to look a bit deeper. I trust that you're not a danger to anyone though.'

'Thanks- it was a complete accident.' 'As I say, we'll look into it more. If there's anything else we need to know, we'll let you know.' 'Ok, thanks.' 'Just need your photo now.' 'Ok.' Belle then walked over to the black screen. 'Lydia, in your own time.' 'I know it is.' She then took the photo, and the I.D. was printed off.

'Here you go Belle- this certifies you as a member of the Lupine Warriors, and allows you to let yourself into the base and access all the electrical stuff.' 'Great- thanks. I have this Paranoia treatment stuff for a couple of hours every Thursday morning- 10-12.' 'Ok, I'll take you to and from there.' 'You don't need to do that.' 'I'd be happy to. One thing though- you know Maddy's secret?'

'No- what secret?' 'I'm a wolfblood.' 'Never heard of one.' '51% Human, 49% Wolf, 100% authentic.' '100% amazing daughter as well.' 'Aww, thanks Dad. I love you too.' 'Wow. I thought werewolves didn't exist.' 'Trust me- werewolves don't exist. I'm a human, but I have wolf DNA inside of me.'

She then flashed her eyes, shocking Belle. 'No need to be scared- most of us can control the inner wolf. I can transform into an actual wolf.' 'What type of wolf?' 'Timber Wolf.' 'They're cute those.' 'Thanks. It's a thing passed down through the generations of our family.'

'So Phil's a wolfblood as well?' 'No- I'm not his biological daughter- adopted. It's a long story- very complicated as well.' 'I'll ask some other time.' 'Good idea. But yeah- most wolfbloods are harmless unless you threaten their pack/family.' 'I get you.' Belle then left. 'She understands?' 'Hopefully- she's clever.'

'That's what I'm concerned about.' 'Anyway- I've got to get on with some paperwork now. You just sit back and relax. 'It's my work Dad- you just relax.' 'Ok, you win.' I then went to get a drink, before secretly clearing some of Maddy's paperwork anyway. A bit later, we were ready for the meeting.

Point of View- Blair

'Hi guys.' 'Hi Blair, nice to see you.' 'Where's Phil?' 'Dunno, why?' 'Just wondering.' 'If you're looking for Phil, he's in the back room with Freja and Lydia.' 'Thanks Astrid.' 'No worries.' I then went to find him, because I knew that there was something he wasn't telling me about Rio.

When I got to the back room, the door was closed. So I knocked. 'Who is it, and what do you want?' 'It's me, and I want to speak to you about something.' 'Ok, come in.' I then opened the door, and walked into Freja and Lydia wearing choker collars. 'What's going on?' 'Freja and Lydia wanted a re-style.' 'So you're making them look like goths.' 'No- I'm not. Did you actually want to speak about something?' 'Privately.' 'Ok. I'll see you at the meeting girls.' 'Understood.'

They then left, and I sat down. 'So what seems to be the problem Blair?' 'It's about Rio- is there something you're not telling me.' 'Could you be more exact?' 'Yeah- I thought I heard you saying earlier that Rio's lost her memory.' 'Ok, you got me. I was going to tell you- Rio's lost almost all her memory from the last 3 months.'

'Is that to do with the diazepam?' 'They don't know- they'd need to do a CT scan to find out, but she's too weak at the moment. And she doesn't want to do it without me and you there.' 'She's scared, isn't she.' 'Yeah- she doesn't want to do the scan for fear of what it might uncover.'

'Do you think she'll recover?' 'Until she has that scan, I have no idea. I'm praying so.' I saw his eyes start to water then, and he lunged over, giving me a hug. 'I can't let myself lose another love- I can't do it.' He then ran out of the back room, leaving Lydia and Freja to come and check on me.

'What's up with him?' 'He's a broken man. He's trying to stay strong, but he can't, and he refuses to rely on anybody for help. Could you two try and talk some sense into him?' 'Sorry, but the only person who could do that is gone.' 'Unless... back in a minute.' Lydia then ran out of the room.

She returned 5 minutes later, with a piece of paper in hand. 'What's that?' 'His Mum and Dad's home phone number.' 'How did you get it?' 'Maddy's got it in her phone.' 'Great. You think this will work?' 'Hopefully.' 'Let's do it then. Which one of us should speak to them?' 'I'll do it- I can put it a little better than Freja.' 'You're completely right- you're the brainy one.' 'I wasn't going to say that.' Lydia then went to try and find Phil while phoning up his parents' home.

10 minutes later, she was back. 'How did it go?' 'Very well- his Mum seems to have talked sense into him.' 'Good. Gee-zus- time for the meeting.' 'Oh yeah- it is.' 'I'm going to find Phil first.' Freja then left, while we went to the meeting. We were the last people there, apart from Phil and Freja.

Maddy took to the podium. 'Right- thanks for coming, and does anybody know where Freja and Dad are?' 'Dad's had some sort of meltdown with Blair, and Freja's run off to find him.' 'I'll deal with that after the meeting. Right- first of all, we have somebody new here today. This is Astrid's first meeting, and I expect you to treat her as well as you would treat anybody else. And when I say that, I mean treat her with the greatest of respect, because we are all Renegades at heart.'

Everyone applauded that. 'Now there has been rumours recently of Rio Kastle's health. I can confirm that Rio was hospitalised again yesterday while on day release from hospital, and is in a stable but serious condition in hospital. I am not going to go into detail about what happened, but Blair will give an update on her condition at the meeting on Wednesday afternoon.'

'I can confirm that I am off to Turku in Finland later for a duelling tournament, and will be back on Wednesday morning. Akiza is staying behind to look after Rio, so she will take over running of the club for tonight, tomorrow, and Wednesday morning. Any matters of discipline will be dealt with by me upon my return unless it is a Grade 1 offence, in which case Akiza will deal with it straight away after consulting me about it.'

'Now there will be a Renegades and Lupine Warriors Secret Santa competition, so the draw will take place on Wednesday. Furthermore, we are now accepting bookings for the first duelling courses of 2015 in the Arena. For further details, inquire with Jodi after this. The end exams of the current courses will be taking part on Friday 15th December. For times, please look at the pieces of paper on the door of the Arena, because we will not tell you what it says. A good... no- a great duellist is never caught unaware of when their duel is.'

Phil then strolled in, with Freja, and they were both wearing sunglasses. 'Freja, Dad, please would you explain why you're 12 minutes late?' 'I needed to take some time out to think about a few things.' 'And Freja?' 'I went to tell him about the meeting, but I couldn't find him.'

'Ok, fair enough. Blair, you can fill Dad in about what was said, and Lydia, you tell Freja please. Back to where I was, with the duelling courses, we do accept deposits of £15 if you can't pay for the course straight away, but the deposit becomes invalid after 3 weeks, and is non-refundable, so only put it down if you are confident that you want to be on the course, and you will be able to pay the entire amount in 3 weeks.'

'Right- if there is anything else that anyone wants to discuss, please put your hand up now.' Freja went to put her hand up, but oddly, Lydia pushed it back down again. 'Ok, in which case, that is the end of the meeting. Don't forget- you can easily arrange a meeting. All you need to do is agree a time and a place with Jodi that fits my timetable.'

As she left, Freja pulled Lydia over to one side, and they started pushing each other around. 'Why did you do that?' 'Did you not listen to Phil? Nothing is confirmed yet.' 'As good as. Besides- we've already kissed.' 'He kissed Rio- they didn't get in a relationship 10 minutes later though.'

'Ok, I'm sorry. I'm just desperate to impress him, so he'll pick me. I missed out on him once, I don't want to again- I know that Blair's sniffing around him. She's a lovely girl, but she doesn't need a lover on her arm to be relevant- I do.' 'You don't need one to be relevant.' 'Why've we been sent out on loads of scouting missions if it isn't to get us out of the way.'

'Because we represent the core values of the Renegades, and Hannah thought that in that respect, we were brilliant for attracting new talent to the club.' 'I suppose you could be right.' Phil then walked over. 'Hannah didn't come up with the idea of you scouting- I did. I wanted to see how good you were because I thought you might be able to lead the club in the future. Hannah wanted you to be her assistants, but I convinced her to have a look at your scouting first. The day before she died, she was going to resign as the Renegades leader, and hand the reigns over to you two.'

'Why not Maddy?' 'Maddy was enjoying being the leader of the Lupine Warriors. She was starting to put her mark on it. She's definitely doing that from day 1 this time though.' 'Is it not too much pressure on her?' 'That's why I'm glad she's got Jodi- I see them as joint leaders. Maddy's the head honcho, but Jodi's being really good, taking so much pressure off of Maddy.'

Nash then turned up. 'Phil, I... no- we need to speak to you.' 'You can, but only if these 3 can come with me.' 'Sure.' We then went outside, and Nash was joined there by Girag, Alito, Mizar, and Dumon, as well as Kalin, Heroes of the Orient (Jaden and Kenta), Woodrow Stratus, the whole of C+C apart from Kari and Bronk, and Stormer (3x World Championship semi-finalist).

'What are you all doing here?' 'We're ready for war.' 'Go on.' 'Everyone here has decided to answer our call to arms- we want revenge on the Brave Bones for what has happened to Rio and Blair.' 'Why's Rhydian skulking around?' 'He followed us here- I only noticed him a minute ago.'

"I'm here to hear your version of events. Birchall's already got his group of supporters- everyone's taken a side. I'm waiting to decide where my loyalties lie" 'Rhydian, you don't have loyalties to anyone apart from yourself- you feel the need to feed your ego.' 'Claude apologises for not being here, he's at his Mum's funeral today, and therefore could not make it here. He supports us as well though. What we do is in Turku, we call them out- me and you.'

'We're an allied force- we all have a reason to be here. We all want revenge, and we all want to gain it.' 'Mizar's right. This isn't about being an everyday superhero, this is about fighting the good fight.' 'It's clobbering time for Birchall.' 'I'll knock him out with a flaming fist.' 'We of C+C are ready to fight with everything we have.' 'Jaden, he speak for me as well. My English not the best, but Justice is a universal language.' 'I'm normally the peaceful Barian, but Birchall deserves everything he gets.'

Phil then made an interesting move. 'I want every single member of the club out here right now.' They all came, making 67 people in the hallway. 'What's up Dad?' 'This is a call to arms- these are our allies. They have come to us, pledging to fight for us, with us, in the name of Rio and Hannah. Who's in?'

Everyone (including me) put their hands up. 'We're with you Dad.' 'Good. We'll all be in Turku tomorrow- we're going to paint that city red with blood.' 'We are flying out now.' 'We'll be with you in a few hours- we're flying over after seeing Rio at the hospital.' 'Are we ok to go?' 'If you can make your own way to Manchester Royal Infirmary, then yes.'

Just as we were starting to file back in, Stormer spoke up. 'Jodi, is that you?' 'Jesse? Is that you?' He then took off his mask, and Jodi hugged him. 'Sorry- I must explain. This is Jesse Allen- my brother. I've not seen you in years.' 'Sorry, kinda lost track of where you lived. We'll speak more in Finland.'

We (myself, Jodi, and Phil) then left for the hospital, while Maddy got on the phone to Rob. 'How many people does your plane hold?' 'At full capacity with the Impreza on board, I can definitely fly 34 people.' 'How about 42?' 'Can try, but no guarantees.' 'Thanks Rob.' 'I heard the call to arms from Tee and Lukas- count me in. I'm a nice guy, but a dab hand with my fists.' 'You're a 6ft 10in beast Rob- it's good to have you on board.'

When we got to the hospital, the Barians were already there. 'We can all go in together, because Akiza's able to bend the rules for us.' 'Great.' We then all went in. When we got there, Rio looked delighted. 'You're all here?' 'Yeah- me and Phil are on the same page now.'

'That's good.' Nash then bent down to Rio. 'Sister, I know you're scared of this CT scan. But once we know what's wrong, we can put it right.' 'Will you, Blair, and Phil stay by me?' 'Of course we will, won't we Phil.' 'Too right Nash.' 'Brilliant. Akiza, is that CT scan still going?' 'Yeah- I can get you in right now if you want.' 'Yeah please- it's time to face my fears.'

5 minutes later, Nash and Phil came back. 'How does it look?' 'She's got severe nerve damage to her brain. It's going to be a very long road to recovery. We're talking years to recover perhaps.' 'It could have been worse though- Sean saved her. If the bullet had gone an extra inch to the left, she would have been dead. If it had been an extra inch to the right, she would have been paralysed from the neck down for life, and her life expectancy would have been for about 5 more years.'

'That's a relief. Where's Rio now?' 'She's been moved to Intensive Care to start her recovery. Akiza's absolutely certain though that her recovery would be sped up if she were to be released next week.' 'Hopefully then.' 'She'll have to stay at the base for 2 weeks before coming home though.'

After that, we headed to the airport. Captain Jack was there, along with Sean, Joe, Niall, and Reece. 'What are you doing here?' 'Phil called us up- we're ready for war.' 'Cheers guys- you're solid.' 'Yeah- we know man.' 'Let's go.' 'Hi- Rob's the pilot, but I'm looking after the plane while Rob's with you.' 'Cheers Jack.' 'Not a problem- I'm glad to help.' We then flew off.

When we landed, Tee was there, but no Lukas. 'Hi, where's Lukas?' 'His plane's been cancelled. He's trying desperately to get here in time, but he can't guarantee.' 'You ready for war?' 'Yeah. Akiza's supporting us by keeping an eye on Rio for us.' 'Great.' 'Let's go.'

Point of View- Maddy

The arena was wide and open, which I loved. When we got in there, me and Dad came straight out. 'Everyone, welcome... to... war! This event is called All-out War, and that's exactly what it is. We are in action tonight, and as you all know, it is a 3-2 handicap duel against the French Connection for the Canadian tag titles.'

The French Connection then came out with Birchall, but before they could say anything, out came a lawyer. 'I am Marco Rain, and I am the chief lawyer of the WDC. I am here to inform you that the duel will not and cannot go ahead as a handicap match, because title matches must not be handicap matches. Therefore, I am here to announce that the duel will be 3-3. M18 Connection, we will give you 40 minutes to find a tag partner, with the titles still on the line.'

'We know who our partner is. Introducing out partner, Jodi Allen.' Jodi just stood up, but as the lawyer left, Birchall took the mic. "I did what I said I would do- I have come here with Hannah Robinson-Cummings' coffin. Everyone, bring it out.' Kieran Byrne then came out (wearing a neck brace), with Don Pope and Justin Chappell, and the 3 of them were acting like coffin bearers.

'Let's open her up guys.' They stood the coffin up on end, and got ready to open it up. 'Don't do it!' "Maddy, this is what I did to your Mum. I killed her, and licked the blood off of my fingers." He then opened up the solid gold coffin, but when he opened it up, there was a lightning bolt, and nothing in it, apart from smoke.

Me and Dad took this opportunity to attack, but we quickly got into trouble against 7 people. I just about managed to give the thumbs up to Nash though, and he grabbed a mic. 'Everyone, charge!' C+C and the Barian Alliance then came down, to help us out. All the other members of Team Birchall (Radley, Spica, Vector, Pipes of Doomsday, Defectors, Kari and Bronk, and all of the Brave Bones) then came down, but they were met by the rest of our crew (including all of the Renegades, Lupine Warriors, and Serotonin).

The rest of it turned into a full scale brawl across the whole stadium. At one point, I saw Dad lift Radley and Don Pope up into the air overhead, before throwing them both down to the ground, but Rob outdid that by lifting Chappell and Bonaparte into the air, before throwing them both down to the ground.

Birchall was then floored from behind by an assailant wielding a wooden log. The assailant just stared at me, before taking his hood down. 'Rhydian?' 'Birchall- listen to me! The next time you want to kill someone, make sure I'm not there- I'll stop you next time.'

Rhydian then went berserk, and ripped his shirt off, before clawing at Birchall, which I joined in with. Lukas then arrived, and took over from us. The three of us followed that up by lifting him up, and powering him down with a triple powerbomb. It ended with me, Freja, Rob, Rhydian, Nash, and Kaz stood from our side, and Rene Dupree, Kari, the returning Connah Dalton, and Pipes of Doomsday stood from their side, when Claus Jacobsen came out.

"Stop this madness at once. Tonight is the WAR! tournament. There will be a best of 3 series of WAR matches between Team Robinson-Cummings, and Team Birchall. We're going to have the following duels:

WDC Tag-Team Titles: (c) Blair Flannigan and Maverick vs. Defectors (Rachel Eckersall and Martin Garcia)

8 person WAR tag match: Heroes of the Orient (Kenta Kobayashi and Jaden Yuki), Tee Taylor and Rhydian Morris vs. Brave Bones (Justin Chappell, Kieran Byrne, Don Pope, and Velvet Sky)

10 person WAR tag match: 2 members of Serotonin, and Barian Alliance (Dumon, Alito, + Nash) vs. Pipes of Doomsday (Doom and Justin Pipe), Radley, and Don Thousand's Barians (Spica and Vector)

Canadian Tag-Team Titles: (c) The French Connection (Rene Dupree, Jean-Louis Bonaparte, and William Conway) vs. Renegades (Phil and Maddy Robinson-Cummings) and Jodi Allen)

8 person WAR tag match: Barian Alliance (Girag + Mizar), and Renegade Mafia (Freja and Lydia Mckinna) vs. Kari Tsukumo, Cathy Katherine, Saeed Ul-Habarak, and Bronk Stone

No Holds Barred: Birchall vs. Lukas Chipperfield

"Any more fighting, and you will have your tour card cancelled, and be arrested by the Police." Security then broke us all up, and I noticed that I'd been opened up just below my hairline on my forehead, while Kaz had a swollen eye. When we went backstage, Dad came up to me.

'What happened to you Dad?' 'I got stuck between all of the Brave Bones. I managed t get out with just a few bruises.' Lukas then came up to us, and he fist-bumped Phil. 'Maddy, we need to get you to Sakura now- she wasn't out there because she's the medic for us. We need to get you patched up.' 'Where did Blair go?' 'She was knocked out by Birchall. She's still a bit dazed.' 'Oh right.'

When I got to Sakura in one of the medical rooms, Blair was sat there, and her eyes looked a bit diluted. 'Maddy- you're bleeding.' 'Looks worse than it is Blair, don't worry.' 'I'll patch Maddy up in a minute- Blair's out first though. If you were wondering about Maverick, she got caught when Kris hit a big forearm shot to Vector.'

'Cheers. Any other major casualties?' 'No- the Barians all seem to be ready to go still.' We then went to see them, because they were sat on a bench in the corridor. 'You lot ok?' 'Yeah- we withdrew near the end when you had the upper hand. We didn't want get the credit for what you did.'

'You played a big part in it as well. I mean Girag, you're an absolute beast- you've got more power than a Ferrari. Alito, you could knock out even the thickest of heads. You are all absolute beasts- emperors. Tonight's your chance to prove it. Nash, Alito, Dumon, you are up against Pipes of Doomsday, one of the hottest teams in the world right now. You also face Radley, who is a very good duellist, and Don Thousand's little puppets. You wanna rid your lives of Don Thousand? Here's your chance.'

Dumon then stood up, and went face-to-face with Dad. 'This is our opportunity. Just assure me that Serotonin know what they're doing.' 'They do. You will taste success, because their mission is not glory, it's to assure your victory, no matter what the personal cost.' 'One more thing- I want a duel with you.' 'You'll get that when the time is right Dumon. When the time is right, we'll just know. Then we will duel Dumon.' 'Good- we trust you.'

Just as we were leaving the medical room, Nash pulled Dad over to one side. 'Rio needs you- look after her.' 'She doesn't need me- I need her. I'm basically done with life- I'm done.' He then walked off, without me. 'Maddy, you need that wound dealing with yet.' 'Yeah, sorry.'

When I got back from having my wound bandaged up, Blair and Maverick were coming out. 'The following duel is for the WDC Tag-Team Championships. Introducing the tag-team champions, representing the Lupine Warriors and Serotonin, the Rough Diamond Blair Flannigan, and Maverick!'

Blair and Maverick came out, with Blair wearing Rio's duel disk. They came straight down, staring at the Defectors, before activating their duel disks. Before the duel, Blair underwent Advanced Transformation. They then began the duel, and I noticed Rhydian watching on, so went to speak to him.

'What was that about?' 'What?' 'Attacking Birchall?' 'If you must know, I have a soft spot for Rio. She was fine until you lot corrupted her. You're a disgrace Maddy. The only thing that makes Birchall worse than you and your Dad is the fact that he actually killed Rio- you just tried to by feeding her drugs.'

Nash then appeared behind him. 'If you don't have anything nice to say, say nothing at all- I prefer you that way anyway. Rio tried to commit suicide because your mate Don Thousand got into her head. And for your information, Phil's the one who kept her alive. So the next time you disrespect him, remember that you've got me to watch out for.'

WDC Tag-Team Championships: (c) [1] Blair Flannigan and Maverick LP:4000 vs. Defectors ([13] Rachel Eckersall and [53] Martin Garcia) LP:4000

Turn 1- Martin- "I'll start this one- I draw. I activate Fusion Sage, which moves Polymerisation from my deck to my hand. I'll now activate it, fusing together Crass Clown and Dream Clown to create Bickuribox (Atk:2300). I'll now activate Polymerisation again, this time fusing together The Snake Hair and Fusion Maestro, to create Skelgon (Def.:1900). I end my turn."

Turn 2- Blair- 'I draw. I activate Rank-up Magic Renegades Unite! This lets me summon out Gem-Knight Pearl (Atk:2600). Next, I'll rank it up. Go- Chaos Xyz Evolution! I summon out ZW- Leo Arms (Atk:3000). I'm not done though- I'll rebuild the overlay network with ZW- Leo Arms. I summon out Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger (Atk:2600).'

'I'm still not done though.' Blair's advanced armour started glowing, and then spread, to create a full body suit type thing. 'What are you doing?' 'Feasting on negative emotions. I activate Rank-up Magic Icaron's Force. This lets me rank up my monster. Go- Primal Xyz Evolution!'

The number 108 appeared on her hand then, and glowed red. 'I summon out Number 108- Gem-Knight Icaron Gold (Atk:4000).' 'She got that out quickly.' 'She's got no intention of spending long duelling here. I don't blame her to be honest- we just want to get back to Rio.'

'I was wrong about you lot- you really do care about my sister.' 'Same here- I thought you wanted to control her. You just wanted to protect her.' 'I failed though, didn't I? I said I'd protect her, but I didn't protect her. She nearly got killed, and there was nothing I could do about it.'

'We know who was at fault, and it's not you, it's not Dad, and it absolutely is not Rio. I'm laying my cards on the table here- from now on, how about the Barian Alliance and the Renegades have a gentleman's agreement type thing, whereby we help each other out when needed.'

'Will I get to see Rio more?' 'When she's back at the base, yeah. Don't take the piss though.' 'I won't do- I know not to impede on your territory, like you know not to with mine.' 'Exactly. What do you say?' 'Yeah- we can do that. Don't expect any dinner parties though.' 'Same here- this alliance is purely until we get rid of our common enemies.'

"You did all of that just to summon out that thing?" 'Yeah- I did. Why- do you think your little jack in the box can beat it? I end my turn with a face-down.'

Rachel- "Draw. I activate Dark Wind. This lets me pay 1000 Life points, to summon out two monsters from my hand, and make them any Level I choose. I summon out two Gusto Codors, and make them Level 10 (Atk:1000, Level:3-10, LP:4000-3000). I now overlay my two Level 10 monsters, to build the overlay network and summon out Skypalace Gangredai (Atk:3400)."

'Wow- big news... not.' "I now activate Rank-up Magic Brave Evolution. This lets me rank my monster up. Go- Chaos Xyz Evolution. I summon out CXyz Skypalace Babylon (Atk:3800). I end my turn.'

Maverick- 'I draw.' 'Be careful Brooke- Babylon can't be destroyed in battle because of Brave Evolution.' 'Cheers mistress. I'll activate Messenger of Peace. This stops all monsters that have 1500 or more Attack points from attacking. I'll end my turn with another face-down.' "You're a coward." 'Better being a coward than foolish. I have been taught well.'

Martin- "I draw. I switch Bickuribox to Defence mode (Def.:2000). I play a monster face-down and end my turn." 'Who's the coward now?' "Shut it."

Blair- 'I draw. I'll pound away at Skypalace Babylon using Number 108. Go- _24 Carat Crusher!' _Gem-Knight Gold punched the front of Babylon, creating a shockwave that dropped Rachel and Martin to their knees (Defectors LP:3000-2600). 'Oh yeah- forgot to tell you. When Number 108 battles your monster but fails to destroy it, all battle damage to you is doubled.'

"So what- we have over half of our points still. And I activate my face-down- Double Destiny. When either of us take 1000 or less points of damage in battle, you take double the amount as damage. Usually it's used to boost our damage to you, but this time, we can make an exception."

Double Destiny then fired quick bursts of sunlight at Blair and Maverick (Blair + Maverick LP:4000-3200). 'I'll end my turn.'

Rachel- "Draw. I activate Xyz Unit. This increases the Attack points of my Babylon significantly (Atk:3800-6000). Babylon, crush Number 108 with _Destiny Demolisher!" _Babylon charged up a fierce blast of green light in it's cannon, before firing it out at Number 108, creating a huge explosion which sent the champions flying (Blair + Maverick LP:3200-1200).

"Why's your monster survived?" 'It's ability. When it's attacked by a monster whose original Attack points are less than Number 108's, I can detach an overlay unit to prevent my monster's destruction.' "I activate the ability of Babylon. Because Skypalace Gangredai is an overlay unit, it can attack twice during each Battle Phase. Go- _Double Destruction!'_

Skypalace Babylon shot at Number 108 again, and when the smoke cleared, Blair had just dropped her head. "We win." 'Not quite (Blair and Maverick LP:1200-1). "What on earth?" 'I activated Evil 1. That saved me and Blair from losing. And by detaching another overlay unit, Number 108 is saved.'

"I'll end my turn with a face-down."

Maverick- 'Draw. I summon out Gagaga Magician (Atk:1500).' "Where did you get that?" 'Kari's not the only person to utilise it in her deck. I now summon out Secret Swordsman through it's ability, because we control a Spellcaster and a Warrior (Atk:?-800). I now activate my Magician's ability, letting me choose a Level for it from 1 through 8. I choose Level 6 (Level:4-6).'

'I activate my face-down- Star Light, Star Bright. This makes all monsters on the field the same Level as Maverick's Magician.' "That includes your Xyz monster though." 'Not quite- Icaron Gold can't be targeted by card effects that would alter it's Rank/Level if it has less than two overlay units left (SS Level:12-6).'

'Brooke, it's over to you.' 'I overlay my two Level 6 monsters to build the overlay network.' "You can't touch us." 'Oh yeah? Say that to Norito, the Moral Leader (Atk:2700).' "Nice monster. Far too late though." 'Oh yeah?' The Eye of Icaron then appeared on both Blair and Maverick's heads.

'I activate Rank-up Magic Twin Icaron Force!' "No way." 'No way- I've never seen that before.' 'Nash, I've seen it once and once only.' 'This ranks up both Number 108 and Norito, the Moral Leader. Go- Twin Chaos Xyz Evolution!' 'I summon out Chaos Number 108- Gem-Knight Icaron Gold Warrior (Atk:4400).'

'I summon out CXyz Simon, the Great Moral Leader (Atk:3000).' "Pathetic- Skypalace Babylon could blow them both to oblivion in one go." 'We'll see about that theory.' "You're real cocky." 'I've got reason to be. I activate the ability of Simon. By detaching one Chaos Overlay Unit, it can switch any monster I like to Defence mode, and negate it's ability. I choose Babylon.'

Simon fired a weird cube at Babylon, trapping it (Def.:4000). 'I now activate Mind Control, letting me take control of Chaos Number 108.' 'Can Maverick handle that power?' 'It'll probably burn her out. Serotonin recharge quickly though. Blair knows the limits, and she'll stick to them.'

'I now activate the ability of Number 108. When it attacks a monster in Defence mode, it gains 800 Attack points. And by detaching one Chaos Overlay Unit, it can deal piercing damage when it battles a monster in Defence mode.' "Why did you switch Babylon to Defence mode then?'

'A. It's abilities are negated now, and B. if you switch the target to Babylon, we won't lose. And C. Twin Icaron Force makes my monster attack any Xyz monster in Attack mode first. It's time to send your Bickuribox back to the toybox in the sky. Gold Warrior Attack it with _24 Carat Chaos Crush!'_

Number C108 lifted it's golden sword (Atk:4000-4800), before slamming it down onto the top of Bickuribox, destroying it, and sending Rachel and Martin crashing to the ground, but not before Martin activated Double Destiny's final effect, destroying it to deal 4000 points of damage to Blair and Maverick (Blair + Maverick LP:1-0000, Defectors LP:1200-0000).

"The result of this duel is a draw. Still your WDC Tag-Team Champions, Blair Flannigan and Maverick!" I then came down, and Blair struggled back up to her feet, so I spring-boarded off of her hands, coming down with a double stomp onto Rachel's ribs, and I heard them crack, and her cry in pain.

Blair and Maverick then took the titles, and lifted them up into the air, before leaving with me, while medics were lifting Rachel onto a stretcher. They carried her away to a small round of applause.

We bumped into Dad in the corridor. 'Good job Blair, good job Maverick- I knew I could rely on you to get the job done for me here and now. You never fail to disappoint me you two, I hope you both know that.' 'We do, thank you master. Why didn't you do the post-duel ritual with me?' 'I was on my way to do that. I didn't expect you to be so quick coming back.'

'Can we do the ritual now?' 'After me, Maddy, and Jodi win our titles, yes. Until then, you'll just have to wait.' 'What deck are you using? Is it that Meklord deck?' 'Nope- Armed Dragon.' 'Cool.' 'Meklord would be a dangerous gamble considering that those three don't usually use Synchro monsters.'

'What's the key to the Armed Dragon deck?' 'Simple- having the right balance of monsters in the deck. Level 5 and 7 can destroy monsters on the field by discarding a monster with a higher Attack stat than them. But if you include monsters whose Attack points are too low, that invalidates the abilities.'

'On the flip side though, if you include too many high-Level monsters, you risk getting a succession of dead draws.' 'Spells and Traps?' 'Not many of those in the deck. Most of them are protection cards to stop the Armed Dragons being destroyed in battle. I'm helped slightly by the fact that this tournament doesn't use the official ban list.'

'Why's that? Is it that your cards would be forbidden otherwise?' 'No- Level 5 and 7 are Semi-Limited, and Level 10 is Limited, so only one copy in the deck. Don't forget though- there's more than one way to skin a cat, or in this case, evolve a dragon.' Dad then left to see Jodi, while me, Maverick and Blair went to watch the second duel- the first WAR duel.

Team Birchall won the duel, with Kieran as the sole survivor, last eliminating Jaden with 700 Life points still (Rhydian walked out early on after turning on Tee). Then it was time for our duel for the tag titles (the 3rd and 4th duels had been announced in the wrong order). Before the duel, N appeared before us again.

'N, do you mind? We are very busy currently.' 'This shall not take long, I promise.' 'Go on.' 'Icaron has spoken of his anger.' 'At what? Have you told him about our anger?' 'He is furious that you disobeyed his orders. He specifically said not to unite with the Barian Alliance.'

'Yeah, well maybe we didn't get that message. Maddy made that decision without input, and personally, I don't agree with it. But it's Maddy's decision, and I respect that. That's why I'll back it. What about our question?' 'Icaron is aware of your anger. He has done all he can to help- what he has done has drained his power dramatically.'

'What's he done eh?' 'I am under strict instructions not to tell you.' Jodi then spoke up, in a way I'd never witnessed from Jodi before. 'If you don't start giving us answers rather than demands, we might just take Icaron's remaining power, and stick it up his supernatural ass.'

'Even if I wanted to tell you what has happened, I am unable. At the Feast of Fools, everything will reveal itself. That is all I am able to tell you- any more, and Icaron would be forced to erase me from history. I would cease to exist, and the timelines of anybody who I ever interacted with, in my human life or my life as Icaron's agent would be adjusted to cater for my absence. I would have never been in existence in any life.'

'Why are you the only one of Icaron's agents that we ever see.' 'Hannah- she was an agent as well.' '2 things. 1. I thought you said last time that she was never an agent, and 2. Was?' 'I did indeed say that she was not an agent. I regret my mistake- she was, but I was only informed of that after our last meeting. And I said was, because Icaron promoted her 2 weeks ago.' 'To what role? Better be something good.' 'I would not know. I did ask Icaron, but he refused to answer- he answers very limited questions. His style is to let people find the answers to their questions. Off.'

Just as he left, Jodi shouted 'On!' N then stopped fading. 'What just happened?' 'I happened- you're not going anywhere. I want to see Hannah again- I want my best friend back.' 'There is nothing I can do in terms of that- you know that.' 'We don't know that- we don't know anything. You don't tell us anything. Icaron wants us to believe in him, but believe in what? Why should we believe when we don't know what we're believing in? You have 7 days to tell us. You can go now.'

N then left. 'Now that's out of the way, let's get onto business. We have a title match. I need to know that my partners are at the top of their game. This isn't just business, it's personal. You get me?' 'Yeah!' 'They won't know what's hit 'em.' 'Good. Now let's go.' The 3 of us then raised our fists, and left for the duel.

Point of View- Blair

The Renegades music (Unbreakable by Fireflight) hit first, as they came out. Maddy had a bandage wrapped across the top of her head after earlier, and Jodi had her left wrist taped up. 'The following duel is a 3-3 duel for the Canadian Tag-Team Championships. Introducing first, the challengers, from the M18 District of Manchester, England, they are the Dark Wolf Maddy and the Most Dangerous Man In The World Phil Robinson-Cummings, the M18 Connection. And their tag-team partner, from Bolton, England, she is Jodi Allen.'

Phil and Maddy came out (Maddy had her hoodie on, and had "borrowed" Phil's cap as well). Straight away, Maddy and Phil raised their fists, and then came running down, while Jodi came down at a more casual pace. When they got to the duelling zone, Maddy and Jodi stood behind Phil, who dropped to his knees, and spread his arms out.

The French Connection's music then hit, as they came out. "And their opponents, representing France, and Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, they are the team of Rene Dupree, Jean-Louis Bonaparte, and William Conway- the French Connection!" They came out, with a mic.

"Nous sommes La Révolution Français, et nous sommes les champions de l'équipe canadienne de balises. All hail la révolution français!" 'Why don't you try speaking English you French nitwit.' 'Jodi, that's the smartest thing I've heard from you since you agreed to form the Renegades with me.' 'Yeah- I know.'

'Will you two stop flirting?' 'Yeah- sorry. Anyway, let's duel.' "No- we refuse." 'If you do, we'll win the titles by default. Don't forget that we have this little briefcase with us, meaning that sometime in the next year, we will get a guaranteed tag title shot.' The 6 of them activated their duel disk, and conferred with each other about who would go when. The duel then began.

Canadian Tag-Team Titles: (c) The French Connection ([48] Rene Dupree, [29] Jean-Louis Bonaparte, and William Conway) LP:12000 vs. Renegades ([14] Phil and [19] Maddy Robinson-Cummings) and [66] Jodi Allen) LP:12000

Turn 1- Phil- 'I'll start. I draw. I summon out Armed Dragon Level 3 (Atk:1200). I end my turn with 2 face-downs.'

Turn 2- Bonaparte- "My draw. I summon out le Toy Soldier (Atk:400). Next, I activate Toy Cloning, letting me create a second Toy Soldier (Atk:400). I now activate Toy Mega March. This doubles the Levels of all monsters on my field with Toy in their name (Level:3-6)x2. I now overlay my two Level 6 monsters, to build the overlay network, and summon out Sword Breaker (Atk:2700)."

"I will end my turn with a face-down."

Jodi- 'I draw. I summon out Mind Protector (Atk:2000). Next, I activate Double Summon, letting me summon out Psychic Commander (Atk:1400). I now use my Level 3 Psychic Commander to give my Level 3 Mind Protector a tune-up. I summon out Psychic Nightmare (Atk:2400).'

'I now activate the ability of Nightmare. Once per turn, I can select a random card in your hand, and declare a card type. If my guess is right, my Nightmare gains 1000 Attack points for the rest of the turn. I select the one on the left, and guess that it's a Spell card.' "Too bad- it's a trap card. Gulliver's Chain."

'Oh dear. I'll just activate Dimension Designator then. With this, I get to name a card. If it's in anybody's hand, then all copies of it are banished from our hands, graveyards, and decks. I choose Gulliver's Chain.' As it happened, all 3 of them had a Gulliver's Chain in their hands.

'I'll end my turn with a face-down.'

Rene- "I draw. Get ready for Xyz Miracle. For this, I have to select an Xyz monster on the field. I choose Sword Breaker. Now any other Sword Breakers in anyone's Extra Decks get summoned out, with the same amount of overlay units as the original one. I summon out a Sword Breaker of my own (Atk:2700)."

"Get ready non-french people, because I summon out a third Sword Breaker (Atk:2700).

"Now it's time to take out your Psychic Nightmare with Sword Breaker." 'Aww, and you thought you'd actually won there? Sad that. I activate Negate Attack. This stops your attack, and ends the Battle Phase.' "I end my turn."

Maddy- 'Get ready- I draw. I play a monster face-down in Defence mode, and throw down two face-downs to end my turn.' "You call that a move?" 'Yeah- it's all about the team.'

William- "My turn. Sword Breaker, I'm activating your special ability. By detaching one overlay unit, I can select a monster type. I choose Beast. Now any Beasts attacked by Sword Breaker are automatically destroyed after damage calculation. Destroy Maddy's face-down monster with _Swordsman's Rage."_

Sword Breaker attacked Maddy's face-down monster (Des Koala Def.:1900). 'Some people never learn- I've used this trick all season. Des Koala deals you with 400 points of damage for each card in each of your hands. Go- _Eucalyptus Storm!" _Des Koala fired eucalyptus leaves at William, before jumping up and firing them at Bonaparte, before jumping again, and spitting the last of them out at Rene, before being destroyed (TFR LP:12000-7800).

"I'll end my turn there. You shall never, ever beat us."

Phil- 'It's my turn, I draw. I hear ya. I'll use the ability of Armed Dragon LV3, letting me tribute it during my standby phase. Dragons grow up so fast, don't they eh? I summon out Armed Dragon LV5 (Atk:2400).' 'Dad, I activate Mysterious Monolith.' 'I activate Mysterious Monolith as well Phil. You do the rest.'

'I hear you. Mysterious Monolith can be used as a Level 4 monster for an Xyz summon. I overlay two Level 4 Mysterious Monoliths to build the overlay network.' He then took his jacket and shirt off, and threw them to the ground, as he glowed in a fiery aura. 'It's time to come to life! I summon out Number 103- the maiden entrusted to me by a very close friend- Ragnazero (Atk:2400).'

"Uh, oh dear?" 'It's gonna get worse before it gets... I was gonna say better, but with me, Jodi, and Dad, things just won't get better- they'll go from worse to even worse still.' 'I activate Rank-up Magic Barians Force. This ranks up Number 103 into a Chaos Xyz monster. Go- Chaos Xyz Evolution! Rio, I know you're watching, I'm going to make you proud! I summon out Chaos Number 103- Ragnafinity (Atk:2800).'

"Oh hell?" 'It's going to get worse still. I activate the secondary effect of Barians Force. It takes all the overlay units from your Xyz monsters, and attaches them to Number C103. Go- _Chaos Drain!' _All the overlay units from the 3 Sword Breakers were then sucked towards Ragnafinity, and implanted themselves in the ground as gold diamonds with red Barian energy flowing through them.

"How many Overlay Units does that thing have?" '8. Next, I activate Xyz Territory. This Field Spell increases the Attack Points of all Xyz monsters on the field by 200 points per Rank (Sword Breaker Atk:2700-3900)x3, (Ragnafinity Atk:2800-3800). Talking of overlay units, I'll put one to use now- by detaching one Chaos Overlay Unit, it can banish a monster on the field whose current Attack points differ from it's original points, and then deal you with the difference as damage. Why use one though, when I can use 3?'

Ragnafinity used 3 overlay units, and shot pink lasers out of her scythe at the 3 Sword Breakers, making them disappear, and sending all 3 frenchies flying (TFR LP:7800-4200). 'Dad, I've got one more thing for you.' 'Go on.' 'It's the trap card Full Armoured Xyz. With this, Dad can summon out an Xyz monster to equip onto Ragnafinity.'

'I know the exact one. I summon out Number 99. Soar into the sky, Northern Lights Dragon (Atk:3000). They now combine, to create the creator of miracles and wonder- Full Armoured- Northern Ragnafinity Dragon (Atk:5800-6600). Northern Ragnafinity Dragon, finish this off with _Northwind Infinity Tsunami!' _Northern Ragnafinity Dragon spun her scythe while flying in the air, before firing pink lasers out of her scythe at The French Revolution, ending the duel (TFR LP:4200-0000).

After the duel, the Renegades music hit again, as me and Astrid came out to celebrate with Phil, Maddy, and Jodi. 'Your winners, Jodi Allen, and your new Canadian Tag-Team Champions- The M18 Connection!' Jodi passed one title over to Maddy, and the other to Phil. Phil then got on his knees, and pointed to the sky with tears in his eyes, and Maddy behind him.

Rio then came on the big screen. She said nothing, but was stood up, clapping. 'Rio- we did it.' 'No- you three did it. Well done.' 'Can't wait until you're back with us.' 'I'll be returning to duelling in 6-8 weeks hopefully- I'll be back attending tournaments soon though.' One of the interviewers then came up towards the big screen.

'What do you want face-ache?' "I was wondering if we could get a quick interview with you.' 'Very quick- before Akiza comes back.' "Firstly, you're looking very well." 'Who are you looking at- I'm anorexic and pale- two things I hate.' "Is it true that you and Phil are in a romantic relationship?"

'No- you've been invading my dreams I think. Seriously- I wish I was, but why would he pick me? Next question.' "Did you know Phil had your cards and Blair your duel disk for today?" 'The cards, I gave to Phil as a sign of togetherness. The duel disk, I didn't know. Blair knows that what's mine is hers though.'

"What do you think about the title win?" 'It sure was impressive, I'll give them that. I enjoyed watching the duel though.' "Do you support the Barian Alliance and Renegades working together?" 'Yeah- I absolutely do. We can trust the Alliance to do the right thing by all of us.'

"Can you describe in words how it feels to have so many people fighting in your name?" 'I appreciate people sticking up for me, but they can just wait for me to come back- I'll look after myself. You all know that I can look after myself, but they want the glory- they want all the credit.'

'Rio, who are you talking to.' 'Uh, nobody.' 'Rio, I thought I told you no interviews- I don't want people seeing you like this.' 'One last thing- Birchall, beware- Lukas is the least of your worries once I'm back... if you survive that long.' 'Rio, do what Akiza says.' 'Yes master.' The call then ended, and Phil and Maddy lifted their titles, before he called me over.

Me and Maddy got on our knees in front of him, and then he hit us both 4 times in the back with his kendo stick. We then returned to the back.

'Good job.' 'Sorry you didn't get to see my full set of Dragons.' 'No worries- you won, that's what matters first and foremost.' 'I suppose you're right.' 'It's nice to see you with some gold again.' 'Yeah- me and Dad are gonna keep getting heavier with gold. Thanks for your help Jodi.' 'It was my pleasure to help you master.'

Nash then came up behind us. 'Well done you two.' 'I know why you're here.' Maddy then handed Number 73 over to Nash. 'You know the deal- you win, and give that back to us afterwards. Do not let Kaz and Havok down.' 'Believe me- they're more likely to slip up.' 'They have artificial intelligence- they don't make mistakes. They are programmed to win.'

'Phil.' 'Jodi.' 'You remember the thing we were working on yesterday?' 'Oh yeah.' 'What do you think of it? Is it ready to show everyone?' 'Not yet- needs a bit more fine-tuning, and we need to test it as well. We'll have a full chat about it if you want.' 'Yeah, sure.' 'What are you two talking about?' 'Just a little experiment of ours.' 'Yeah, because the prototype Neuro-Needles worked so well.' 'Worked with Rio.' 'Yeah- you've barely used them since.' 'We're waiting for the right time to use them Mads.'

As Phil and Jodi left, Kaz and Havok came to me, with their new headbands on. 'You called us here mistress.' 'Yes- I did Katrina. Now both of you will duel for me, and you are indeed programmed to win. Here are the decks you're going to use. Now win.' 'For the glory of the Renegades, we will win.'

Point of View- Jodi

We picked Belle up on the way there. 'Fancy doing some scientific planning Belle?' 'Yeah, sure.' After we got her on board, we found a room with a table to plan stuff on. 'So here's my idea Phil- an AI style system implanted into the brain, acting as... well I'm not quite sure what to describe it as really.'

She then drew a diagram of what she meant. 'I get you- so it acts as their brain and also gives them statistics while they're duelling. And because we are engineering it, it will be brilliant.' 'One question.' 'Go on Belle.' 'Do you have anyone in mind to test it on?' 'Yeah- we were going to use Katrina as our lab rat, why?'

'I was just wondering if you wanted to try it on me instead. It's the least I can do for you stopping me from rotting away in prison.' 'I think that's a good idea, but Phil's the boss.' 'You know the risks, so yeah- sure. We'll test it tomorrow at 2pm in the base.' 'Understood.' 'Anyway, where were we. Oh yeah- how does it work?'

'The mechanics are quite simple- we use our speciality AI system. You just wire it into their brains carefully, and then link it to their eye cortex, and switch it on. We can program the controls manually, and the AI will tell them what to do. Of course they're still under Blair's command, this doesn't change that.'

'It sounds like a brilliant idea Jodi. Anything else you want to talk about?' 'Yeah- is the Darkness Charger fixed yet?' 'No- Maddy's been unable to find the paperwork relating to where we got the parts from. She's really struggling to juggle the paperwork and her college course and her duelling and grieving and looking after me. I'm worried that she's driving her into the ground.'

'That's why I'm trying to help her out as much as possible.' 'She's too proud to ask for help though.' 'Maybe if you encouraged her to take some time away from us?' 'I would, but I really need her at the moment- she's just about keeping me alive. I've got to keep her with me, at least until I get my life back on track. That's why I'm trying to get something going with Freja.'

'Really?' 'Yeah. I know that it won't last probably, but at least until Rio feels better.' 'I would tell you not to mess Freja around, but I don't think she's looking for anything long-term either.' 'Yeah- I thought the same. I just hope Rio does recover.' 'I hope my hunch is right.' 'What hunch is that Jodi?' 'Uh, nothing.'

When we got back to the inner sanctum of the stadium, Spica was just walking up to the duelling zone, with Justin Pipe and Doom by her side. 'Where's Vector?' 'The injuries he suffered against Maddy were very severe- he's not gonna be back for a few weeks.' 'Any idea who's replaced him?' 'No- heard nothing. I'm thinking big name- they wouldn't get any old person to replace him.'

'More to the point, where is Maddy?' 'She's gone to get a phone signal- she couldn't find one here. She's feeling a little bit sick as well- she's not looked too well all day. I heard about you and Freja.' 'How?' 'I overheard you three talking a few minutes ago. Listen- anything I can do to cheer you up Phil, just ask. I promised, remember?' 'We'll talk later Blair. After this duel in fact.' 'Why not just talk now.' 'Ok, why not.'

Point of View- Phil

'So, what did you want to say?' 'When we get back home, you and Freja can perform a little show for me.' 'I get you. Have you asked Freja?' 'Nope, but I'm sure she'll say yes. If she doesn't, I'll just lock her in her trance.' 'Fair enough- I'll do it for you master. Just make sure you lock me in my trance just before we start.'

'Sure. Thanks for this Blair.' 'I'll do anything for you- you need me.' Just then, Radley walked past. He wasn't walking for long though, because Blair dropkicked him head-first into the wall, knocking him out. I then trapped him in a guillotine-style leg choke, and kept tightening it until he started spitting out blood.

'I needed that.' 'I could tell. That looked well cool- how did you get him to spit out blood?' 'Crushed his windpipe. He couldn't fight out of that unfortunately for him.' 'Yeah. You'll have to teach me about these chokes and holds sometime.' 'All in good time. How's it going as head of the Lupine Warriors?' 'Well thanks. Let's get back.'

When we got back, Radley's music had just stopped playing. So then, it was revealed who was replacing Vector- and it was a shock. "Introducing their tag-team partner, from Mayfair, Madi Diamond." Madi (who was a member of the fledgling Renegades before Hannah kicked her out for drugs offences) came out with Bolton, and kissed him on the way down. It was clear that Birchall had injected her with a neuro-needle. When she got to the duelling zone, she barely reacted, but her eyes flashed a light blue.

Serotonin then came out to new music (Illuminated by Hurts). 'Introducing their opponents- first, representing Serotonin, from Dystopia, they are Kaz and Havok!' Sandra and Katrina came out, in their full uniforms (masks included), and stood at the top of the ramp with the rest of Serotonin. They then all took their masks off, and all 6 of them walked down to the duelling zone, where they waited.

The Barian Alliance music then hit. 'Introducing their tag-team partners, representing the Barian Alliance, from Barian World, they are the team of Alito, Nash, and Dumon!' The Alliance came down, and when they got down, Bolton got a mic. "Radley was clearly taken out by Serotonin- that fact makes this 5-4 unfair."

Claus Jacobsen then came out. "Bolton, you have two options. 1. You forfeit the duel. 2. It continues as 5-4. I agree with what you said, but it has not been proven yet who attacked Radley.' Serotonin's duel disks then materialised on their arms, as did the duel disks of the Alliance. The duel then began.

5-4 WAR Match: Team Robinson-Cummings ([96] Dumon LP:4000, [72] Nash LP:4000, and [94] Alito LP:4000, Kaz LP:4000 and Havok LP:4000) vs. Team Birchall ([57] Spica LP:4000, Madi Diamond LP:4000, [18] Justin Pipe LP:4000 and Doom LP:4000)

Turn 1- Havok- 'I draw. I summon out Blackwing- Hurricane the Tornado (Atk:0000). I now summon out Blackwing- Bora the Spear through it's ability, because I control a Blackwing monster (Atk:1800). Next, because I have a Blackwing on the field, I can summon out Blackwing- Gale the Whirlwind (Atk:1300).'

'I now activate The Band's Downfall. This makes one Tuner monster on the field a Non- tuner, and reduces it's Attack and Defence to 0. I choose Gale the Whirlwind (Atk:1300-0000). I end my turn with a pair of face-downs.'

Turn 2- Spica- "Barian's Chaos Draw! I summon out Double Coston (Atk:1700). Next, I activate it's ability, which lets me tribute it, and summon out Despair from the Dark (Atk:2800). I now activate Monster Reborn, reviving Double Coston (Atk:1700). I now tribute Coston again to summon out a second Despair from the Dark (Atk:2800)."

"Next, I activate Rank-up Magic the Seventh One, allowing me to summon Number 113- Jiangshi, Revenant of the Underworld (Atk:2900). Next, I can rank it up. Go- Chaos Xyz Evolution! I summon out Chaos Number 113- Kyonshee, Unholy Revenant of the Netherworld (Atk:3900)."

"I'm not allowed to attack you on the first turn, so I'll end my turn with a face-down of my own.'

Turn 2- Alito- 'I'll take it from here. I draw. I summon Battlin' Boxer Rabbit Puncher (Atk:800). Next, I activate Ring Announcer. Introducing, in the red corner, Battlin' Boxer Rib Gardna (Atk:100). I now overlay my two Level 3 monsters to build the overlay network. I summon out Battlin' Boxer Cheat Commisioner (Atk:0000).'

'I activate my face-down- Urgent Tuning. This lets me tune my Level 1 Hurricane the Tornado with Level 4 Bora the Spear and Level 3 Gale the Whirlwind to summon out Blackwing- Silverwind the Ascendant (Atk:2800).' 'I'll end my turn with a face-down.'

Justin- "I draw. I activate the field spell known as Necrovalley.' The whole field then changed to look like an ancient, giant canyon. Next, I summon Gravekeeper's Ambusher (Atk:1700). Next, I tribute it to summon out Gravekeeper's Shaman (Atk:1500). It gains 200 Attack points for every Gravekeeper's monster in my graveyard (Atk:1500-1700)."

"I now activate Hidden Temples of Necrovalley. Because I control a Gravekeeper's monster and Necrovalley, nobody can Special summon a monster that does not have the word Gravekeeper in it's name. I end my turn with a face-down."

'I'll take the next turn.' 'Nash, down- I will.' 'Who says?' 'Just trust me, ok? We'll discuss it later.' 'Fine- I trust you Dumon.' 'Good.'

Dumon- 'I draw. I summon out Star Seraph Scepter (Atk:1800). I'll use it's ability now add Star Seraph Sword to my hand. Next, I'll activate Double Summon, letting me summon Star Seraph Sage (Atk:1600). I now activate it's ability, letting me discard a Spell card to summon out Star Seraph Sword (Atk:1400).'

"What use is it? You can't Xyz summon." 'I activate Celestial Storm. This destroys a card on your field because I control two or more Star Seraph monsters. I choose Hidden Temples.' Celestial Storm blew away Hidden Temples, destroying it. 'I now overlay my three Level 4 monsters to build the overlay network, and summon out Number 102- Star Seraph Sentry (Atk:2500).'

'When Star Seraph Scepter is used to Xyz summon an Xyz monster that requires at least 3 monsters, I can destroy a card on the field. I choose Necrovalley.' Necrovalley was impaled by Scepter, destroying it. 'I now activate Rank-up Magic Barian's Force. This lets me rank up my monster. Go- Chaos Xyz Evolution. I summon Chaos Number 102- Archfiend Seraph (Atk:2900).'

'I now activate the effect of Barian's Force. Go- _Chaos Drain!' _The Chaos Overlay Unit of Number C113 went to Number C102. 'I now activate the ability of Archfiend Seraph. By detaching one Chaos Overlay Unit, I can reduce the Attack points of any monster I like on the field to 0. I choose Chaos Number 113.'

"I activate the ability of Kyonshee's Servant in my hand. By discarding it, you can't target Number C113 for card effects as long as it remains face-up on my field." 'Fine by me- I'll target Gravekeeper's Shaman instead.' "I activate Cursed Chaos. With this, you have to pay 500 Life points to activate the ability of a monster, because we control a Chaos Number."

'Fine- I'll pay 500 Life points (Team Robinson-Cummings LP:10000-9500).' Archfiend Seraph fired an arrow into the centre of Shaman (Atk:1500-0000). Now it's time to destroy your Shaman.' Archfiend Seraph shot another arrow at Shaman, destroying it, and sending Justin flying (Justin LP:4000-1100).

'I'll end my turn with a face-down.'

Madi- "Draw. I summon White Warrior- Hail the Iron Hammer (Atk:1800). Destroy Cheat Commisioner." 'I activate the ability of Cheat Commissioner. When it's targeted for an attack, it can change your target to any other monster on our side. That includes Archfiend Seraph.'

Cheat Commissioner was right in the line of attack for Hail the Iron Hammer, but pointed at Archfiend Seraph, and they swapped places. "During the Battle phase, I can activate Whitewash. This doubles the Attack points of Hail the Iron Hammer because it's Attack points are more than 1000 below the Attack of the monster it's attacking (Atk:1800-3600)."

'When Archfiend Seraph would be destroyed, it can detach two Chaos Overlay units instead.' "Whitewash's other effect doubles the Battle damage if it fails to destroy your monster." Hail the Iron Hammer whacked Archfiend Seraph with it's hammer, but Seraph resisted, and Dumon was sent crashing to the ground by the shockwave (Dumon LP:4000-2600).

"I will end my turn there (Atk:3600-1800)." 'Dumon, get up already.' 'I am doing. Who's next?' 'I'll go next.' Before Nash got chance to though, Kaz drew.

Kaz- 'I start by summoning Pahunder (Atk:1300). It's ability lets me Normal summon another Light-attribute Thunder monster from my hand this turn. I choose Mahunder (Atk:1400). I now activate it's ability, letting me Normal summon another Light-attribute Thunder monster. I summon out Sishunder (Atk:1600).'

'I now overlay my three Level 4 monsters to build the overlay network.' The number 91 then appeared on her right cheek. 'I summon out Number 91- Thunderspark Dragon (Atk:2400).' 'Strong monster that, isn't it.' 'You couldn't be more right Astrid. Thunderspark is very destructive. Using it requires good timing though.' 'What do you mean?' 'It destroys all other monsters on the field. That includes all the other monsters on your own field.' 'Can't Seraph protect itself?' 'No- it's only got one Chaos Overlay unit left.' 'Oh yeah. It would be smart to use up the last overlay unit of Archfiend Seraph now.'

'I activate the ability of Archfiend Seraph.' 'That's my monster.' 'Yes- I'm doing what I'm told. By detaching one Chaos Overlay unit, it can reduce the Attack points of another monster on the field to 0, and negate it's abilities. I choose Hail the Iron Hammer.' Archfiend Seraph fired another arrow pulsating in darkness at Hail the Iron Hammer, impaling it (Atk:1800-0000).

'When Archfiend Seraph detaches it's final Chaos Overlay unit, you take 1500 points of damage if it was detached by it's own ability. I just have to choose somebody to target.' 'He selects Spica. Archfiend Seraph took aim once again, and this time the arrow rammed straight into Spica (Spica LP:4000-2500).

'Next, I'll replace Necrovalley with a new Field spell- Wrecked Fortress.' Necrovalley was then replaced by ruins of an old fortress. 'It's time to attack with Thunderspark Dragon. Destroy Hail the Iron Hammer.' Thunderspark Dragon shot balls of electricity at Hail the Iron Hammer, destroying it, and Madi got zapped (Madi LP:4000-1600).

'I also activate the effect of Wrecked Fortress. With this, whenever a monster on the field is destroyed, the controller of that monster takes 100 points of damage for each Level or Rank it has in the Graveyard. Your Hail the Iron Hammer was Level 4, so that's 400 points of damage.' Wrecked Fortress threw sharp boulders at Madi from underground, sending her into the air, crashing to the ground (Madi LP:1600-1200).'

'I throw down a face-down. Turn end.'

Doom- 'Doom draw. It time for you to learn who Doom is. Doom summon out Morphtronic Scopen (Atk:800). Next, I can use it's ability to summon out Morphtronic Boomboxen (Atk:1200).' 'It can't be him.' 'Who is it?' 'His name's Leo.' 'He's my twin brother.' Luna appeared behind us.

'How did you get here?' 'That's not important. Leo, is that actually you?' 'Luna?' 'What are you doing?' He then took the entire Doom outfit off, and as it turns out, it is Leo. 'Sorry sis, the only way I could get close to you. Just join us- it'll be a blast.' 'No.' 'Why not?' 'Because I said so sis- who are these guys anyway?' 'My saviours.'

"Let's continue then. I tune my two monsters together, to summon out the ultimate Morphtronic might of Power Tool Dragon (Atk:2300). I now activate the ability of Power Tool Dragon. Once per turn, I can select a random equip spell, and add it to my hand. Good- this will do. I activate Double Tool C&D. This gives my Dragon 1000 more Attack points (Atk:2300-3300)."

"Now attack Archfiend Seraph." Power Tool Dragon drilled into Archfiend Seraph, destroying it (Dumon LP:2600-2200). "Don't forget about Wrecked Fortress now." Wrecked Fortress' rocks rammed into the midsection of Dumon (Dumon LP:2200-1700). "Next, I'll destroy Thunderspark Dragon with Number C113."

Chaos Number 113 shot phantoms out at Thunderspark, but it wasn't destroyed. 'I activated Half Unbreak to half the damage. I could have activated it earlier, but it's every duellist for themselves Dumon.' 'I respect that.'

"I end my turn with a face-down (Atk:3300-2300)."

Nash- 'I draw. I activate Rank-up Magic the Seventh One. This lets me summon out Number 101- Silent Honor Ark (Atk:2100). Next, I can rank it up. Go- Chaos Xyz Evolution! I summon Chaos Number 101- Silent Honor Dark (Atk:2800).' 'That was a good move from Nash.' 'Yeah- I know. He may be a hothead, but when duelling, he's a cool strategist- he knows what he's doing.'

'I'll now activate Hero's Medal. This gives my monster a power boost- to the tune of 1000 Attack points (Atk:2800-3800). I activate the ability of Silent Honor Dark. By detaching one Chaos Overlay unit, it can turn your monster into one. Convert Power Tool Dragon with _Chaos Absorption!'_

"I activate Morph Guard. This allows me to stop your ability simply by selecting a Morphtronic in my deck, and sending it to my graveyard. Sure I lose 500 Life points, but it's worth it." 'Hero's Medal doubles any effect damage either of us take. Get ready to feel the pain.'

Morph Guard activated, and pieces of the monster (Morphtronic Smarfon) flew around Power Tool Dragon, protecting it from the effect of Number C101, but Leo still took damage (Doom/Leo LP:4000-3000). 'Now it's time to attack Power Tool Dragon.' Dark shot a beam of light at Power Tool.

"By de-equipping C+D, Power Tool isn't destroyed. And when you attack a monster equipped by Double Tool, it's destroyed automatically." 'By sending Hero's Medal to the graveyard, Dark can negate it's destruction. And you still take damage (Doom/Leo LP:3000-1500).'

'Why did he negate the destruction?' 'Because he knows that Spica will probably attack on her next turn. He's safeguarding himself.' 'Oh right. How do you know so much Phil?' 'Listen Astrid- after nearly a decade of being on the tour, you tend to pick up a lot on these things.' 'And Dad's the best strategist in the world.' 'Maddy has a point- I am.' 'Can't wait to start duelling for you permanently.'

'That'll come in a couple of weeks. First of all, I want to adjust your deck and do some extra work with you.' 'What do you mean- I want to learn.' 'You need to learn quite a bit. You've got raw skills, but you fail to plan more than a couple of turns in advance. You need to analyse what you're opponent's doing to work out what they will do.' 'Oh right, uh, thanks.'

'I'm not going to teach you everything though. There's some stuff you can only learn with practice. And I've got to keep one or two secrets of the trade back- self preservation.' 'So that stuff with the wooden stick.' 'It's epic, isn't it.' 'Looks like it hurts.' 'It does- that's the whole point of it Astrid. Pain motivates you- it makes you stronger.'

'Isn't that wooden stick dangerous?' 'It's a kendo stick- they have special guards on them. The very worst you can get from them is bruises.' Maddy then took her hoodie off, and lifted the back of her shirt up to reveal 4 bruises on her back. 'Are they all from the kendo stick?' 'No- 3 of them are. The smallest one's from the brawl earlier- got a stiff kick from Shan.'

'Who's Shan?' 'Shannon- Spica. I was mates with her at school before she was made a Barian. She was a threat to our species, but she could definitely talk her way out of issues.' 'There's something I don't understand about the whole wolfblood stuff.' 'Go on.' 'If you're half wolf, how come we never see your wolf form?'

'Wolfbloods are still a closely guarded secret- I'm reluctant to transform outside of home or the base. On a full moon, we have to transform- wherever we are.' 'We?' 'It's just the way that Maddy speaks- she's from way up north in Northumbria- not too far from Newcastle.' 'Oh right. So Number 83 is actually you Maddy?'

'Yeah- Donna infused my soul with the card. In duels, I can use myself as a monster, and the other portion of my soul creates a clone of my human form in. Yeah- I forgot to mention that as well. Donna's a mate of ours- in fact, she's just over there. Hey Donna- come down.' 'Coming Maddy.'

Donna then came over. 'What's up?' 'Just wanted to introduce you to Astrid- so Donna, this is Astrid, a new recruit. Astrid, this is Donna Thomas- she's what you'd call a card alchemist.' 'Yeah- what I do is I have a lab in Gorton.' 'Where's that?' 'Manchester, England. It's where Phil was born... not the lab obviously, but he lived in Gorton for his whole life until he was 20.'

'Wow. So what's a card alchemist? Do you do experiments with cards? No- that's silly actually.' 'You're not a million miles off Astrid. What happens is that Phil or any member of the Renegades and Lupine Warriors usually email me with an idea for a card or series of cards. Then I make them happen. Phil has to come down quite often to help me though- some of the machinery's very temperamental.'

'Could you give me some examples of cards you've made?' 'Number 83, Number 99, Number 5, all their Chaos numbers, Chaos Number 62, and all the Primal Numbers and their Chaos counterparts, Rank-up Magic Renegades Unite, Rank-up Magic Icaron Force, Rank-up Magic Magma Force, Blizzard Force, Twin Icaron Force, Extreme Icaron Force, Diamond Force, 5 Card Salute, I think that's it off the top of my head. Oh- and some Ritual Cards I just made for Phil last week.'

'Wow. I've never heard of the last two.' 'Extreme Icaron Force is yet to make it's debut in a duel. It did recruit Nightshade and Mortis of Serotonin though. And Diamond Force belongs to Sakura- I don't think you've met her. She's in the medical area, so I'll introduce you later.'

'How good is Sakura?' 'Not bad- she took me to a tie a few months back.' 'Impressive. After this tournament, can I have a look at your house?' 'Sure- depending on the time when you're done, either I'll drive you back to the base or Maddy'll take you with Primal Eolas.'

'What does Primal Eolas feel like?' 'It feels weird the first few times, but you get accustomed to it- it's the easiest way to travel. You have to make sure that nobody sees you using it though- nobody you don't trust that is. Can I ask you something Dad?' 'Sure.' 'Lately, when I've been using Primal Eolas, it's been preceded by a weird sort of atom thing that's visible. Why?'

'Without seeing it, I can't say for certain. I have a suspicion that it's something to do with your primal powers Maddy. As you evolve, the way your power manifests itself evolves as well.' 'What am I capable of at full strength with my power?' 'I don't know- when I tried to work it out a few weeks ago with Donna, all it did was smash up her simulator. I only got to 83.5% as well.'

'Where's the limiter set at the moment?' '60%. It was 50%, but I extended it last week because you can control it better.' 'Would you ever remove the limiter?' 'No- it's too dangerous. I'm not doing it to stifle you- it's to protect you.' 'I understand that- thanks Dad. You know that I'll never desert you, no matter what it takes.' 'I know- you're good like that.'

'I'll end my turn with 3 face-downs.'

Spica- 'Chaos Draw. I activate Xyz Xtreme. This lets both of us summon out an Xyz monster from our decks. I summon out Number 22- Zombiestein (Atk:4500)." 'How scary.' 'I'll take this one Barian losers.' 'What did she just call us?' 'I summon out Ice Princess Zereort (Atk:2500).' "Number 22, destroy Number C101."

Zombiestein ripped up Number C101 using it's bare hands, destroying it (Nash LP:4000-2300). 'I activate the ability of Chaos Number 101. Because it had a Chaos Overlay unit when it was destroyed, it comes back, and I regain Life points. Go- _Return From Oblivion!' _Silent Honor Dark returned, and refreshed Nash (Nash LP:2300-5100).

"Don't forget about Wrecked Fortress." Wrecked Fortress sent Nash flying with the stones (Nash LP:5100-4600). 'I activate Overlay Award. This gives an overlay unit to any monster I like on the field. I choose Number 113.' 'I activate Overlay Capture.' 'Hey- you nicked my card.' 'I take the overlay unit of Number 113, and give it to Zereort. All for Serotonin.'

'You're not going to anger me into betrayal- I'm done running away.' 'They're not trying to anger you into betrayal Nash- it's every duellist for themselves.' 'You're right- I'm going to show that from now on. I activate my face-down. It's called Supernova Spirit. With this, my monster gets destroyed at the end of my turn. And then, everyone takes damage equal to it's Attack points.'

"It won't last till turn's end.' 'If it doesn't, then the monster it's destroyed by also gets destroyed, and both of us take 2800 points of damage, which means it's lights out for you Spica.' "Doesn't bother me. Number 113, destroy him!" Number 113 came in, and destroyed Silent Honor Dark, but it wasn't Nash or Spica who bit the bullet (Justin LP:1100-0000, Nash LP:4600-3100, Spica LP:4000-3200).

'When the attack was launched, I activated Abyssal March. By discarding one card, I could reduce Nash's damage to 1000, and redirect the original damage to Justin. Of course Nash took a further 500 points because of Wrecked Fortress.' Justin then shrugged his shoulders, and left. '5-3 now.' 'What happened to Radley anyway?' 'Me and Blair knocked him out in the hallway.' 'That leg choke was wicked.' 'Same result every single time.'

"I end my turn with a face-down."

Havok- 'Draw. Everyone seems to have forgotten about my monster. Funny how these things happen. I activate Synchro Boost. This gives Silverwind an extra Level, and 500 Attack points (Atk:2800-3300, Level:8-9). I now activate the ability of Zereort. By detaching an overlay unit, it can make the Attack points of any monster on the field 0 and negate it's abilities for the rest of the turn. I choose Power Tool Dragon. Go- _Subzero Subtraction!' _

Zereort froze Power Tool solid, and that worried Leo (Power Tool Atk:2300-0000). 'Why didn't you target Number 22?' 'Why should I do that when Kaz can. We're Serotonin- we have no minds. I thought you knew that.' 'Who's controlling you then?' 'It depends.' I then got out of my seat to explain. 'This time, I'm controlling Kaz's moves, and Havok's are being controlled by Maddy.'

'Is that not against the rules?' 'No- it's a loophole. And soon, all of Serotonin will be running on artificial intelligence, which is definitely not banned.' 'Mainly because it's impossible.' 'You wanna bet? We've drawn up plans for it, and now I have a willing test subject. Anyway, back to the duel.'

'Kaz, do your thing.' 'I activate the pulsating coldness of Freezing Point. This reduces the Attack points of Zombiestein to 0, because it has no overlay units left.' Freezing Point pulsated with an icy energy, reducing it's Attack points to zero (Atk:4500-0000). 'Silverwind, destroy Number 22.'

Silverwind fired a burst of life up through Number 22, destroying it, and finishing off Spica (Spica LP:3200-0000). 'Now Zereort, destroy Power Tool Dragon.' Zereort flew in, and simply sliced through Power Tool, destroying it, and the resulting explosion send Leo flying (Leo/Doom LP:3000-1000).

'You take more damage now through Wrecked Fortress.' Wrecked Fortress threw more stones at Leo, knocking him down (Leo/Doom LP:1000-300). 'Thunderspark Dragon, finish off Madi. Go- _Thunderspark Stream!' _Thunderspark Dragon shot electrical balls at Madi, finishing her off (Madi LP:1200-0000). 'I'll end my turn.' '5-2.' 'Yeah- we've got this in the bag.' 'For once Alito, I agree with you- it would seem that we do have this victory within our grasp.'

Leo/Doom- "It's my turn again. I activate Monster Reborn. This revives my Power Tool (Atk:2300). Next, I summon out Morphtronic Lantron (Atk:200). I now tune together Level 1 Lantron and Level 7 Power Tool Dragon. Let their heartbeats file through here to create a new Dragon."

Power Tool Dragon's armour then came flying off of it to reveal a new dragon underneath. 'Meet Life Stream Dragon (Atk:2900). When it's summoned, it can make my Life points go up- to 4000." Life Stream Dragon then coated Leo in a beautiful light, recovering any injuries he'd suffered in the duel (Leo/Doom LP:300-4000). "Also, my dragon stops you from dealing effect damage to me. Finish off Dumon with _Beautiful Life Howl!" _

Life Stream Dragon hit Dumon with it's wing (Dumon LP:1700-0000). 'I'm out- good luck everyone.' Dumon then withdrew, just as Madi and Spica left with Bolton. "I end my turn."

Alito- 'I draw. I detach one overlay unit from Battlin' Boxer Cheat Commissioner to summon out Battlin' Boxer Shadow through it's own ability (Atk:1400). Next, I summon out Battlin' Boxer Glassjaw (Atk:2000). I now overlay my Level 4 Shadow and Glassjaw, to build the overlay network. I summon out Number 79- Battlin' Boxer Nova Ceaser (Def.:1600).'

'Once per turn, it can attach a Battlin' Boxer from my hand or graveyard to itself as an overlay unit. I choose Battlin' Boxer Rib Gardna. Next, I activate Rank-up Magic Barian's Force. This ranks up Cheat Commissioner into a Chaos Xyz monster. Go- Chaos Xyz Evolution!'

'I summon out CXyz Battlin' Boxer Chaos Commissioner (Def.:2300). I now activate it's ability. Once per turn, I can make any one of your monsters attack any monster on our field, no questions asked. It's time for Life Stream Dragon to face off with Silverwind the Ascendant.'

Life Stream Dragon attacked Silverwind, but Silverwind struck back. "By banishing an equip spell in my graveyard from play, I can negate the destruction. I banish Double Tool C+D." Silverwind's attack hit Life Stream Dragon, which stood up to the attack (Leo LP:4000-3600).

'I'll end my turn.'

Leo/Doom- 'I draw. I activate Ekibyo Drakmord. With this, Silverwind has to return to your deck at the start of my next turn. Now it's time to destroy Zereort with _Beautiful Life Howl!' _Life Stream Dragon howled, and blasted Zereort, destroying it, and dealing Havok damage (Havok LP:4000-3100).

"I'll end my turn."

Kaz- 'I draw. I play a monster face-down in Defence mode, and end my turn.' 'Is that it? I hope you know what you're doing Phil. Because this isn't about us, it's about Rio.'

Leo/Doom- "I draw. Say goodbye to your big bird." Ekibyo Drakmord then triggered, and it was returned to the Extra deck. "I now equip my Dragon with Fairy Meteor Crush, letting it pierce through defences. Destroy Nova Caeser with _Beautiful Life Crushing Howl!" _Life Stream Dragon howled, and destroyed Nova Caeser, dealing damage to Alito (Alito LP:4000-2800).

"Don't forget about Wrecked Fortress." Alito then got slashed with the stones (Alito LP:2800-2400). "I'll end my turn. Who's next?"

Nash- "My draw. I activate Exchange. This lets me swap a card with anyone I choose. And I choose Kaz.' Nash and Kaz then exchanged a card each (Nash gave Kaz Xyz Reborn, and Kaz gave Nash Devoted Love). 'I play a face-down. Next, I activate Rank-up Magic the Seventh One!' In a "shocking" twist, the number 110 appeared on Nash's back, and he groaned. 'I summon out Number 110- Dark Empress- Posieden Wave (Atk:3200)!'

'What's he doing with that?' 'I gave it to him- one card Birchall doesn't have. She never kept it in her deck for fear of contamination.' 'Don't get you.' 'The primal numbers have immense amounts of dark energy in them. She didn't want her deck being tainted- she's used a lot of those cards for most of her career. In fact, there's a lot of cards still in her deck that were used against me in '08.' 'Wow- she kept them.' 'Yeah- that's why we need to get it back.'

'Next, I get to rank her up. Go- Primal Xyz Evolution! I summon out Chaos Number 110- Dark Queen of Posieden (Atk:4200). Now it's time to attack your Life Stream Dragon with _Posieden's Terror!' _Number C110 threw a huge wave of water at Life Stream Dragon, destroying it, and dealing Leo big damage (Leo/Doom LP:3600-2300).

"It can't be destroyed if I banish Ekibyo Drakmord." 'I activate Double Take. This allows it to attack again. Dark Queen, fire away again.' Dark Queen of Posieden fired another cursed wave of water at Life Stream Dragon, and this time destroyed it (Leo/Doom LP:2300-1000).

'Don't forget about Wrecked Fortress.' Stones then surrounded Leo, before being fired at him, and it turned out that Havok was actually aiming them (Leo/Doom LP:1000-200). 'I end my turn.'

Leo- "I draw. I activate Wicked Rebirth, reviving Life Stream Dragon with 100 more Attack points and another Level (Atk:3000, Level:8-9). Next, I activate Megamorph, doubling it's Attack points (Atk:3000-6000). Now it's time to take Havok out, by annihilating her with _Beautiful Life Mega Howl!"_

The howl reached Havok, but then Nash did something shocking. 'I hope you're watching Marin, because this is a new day, and a new Barian. I activate Devoted Love.' Me and Maddy couldn't help but stand up and applaud him for that. 'This ends the Battle phase and lets my partners draw one card each.'

"What's the applause from Pinky and Perky for then?" 'Just end your turn- you'll learn.' "Fine- I have no cards in my hand, so I end my turn." Nash then just stood back, as an explosion engulfed him (Nash LP:3100-0000). 'Devoted Love's final effect reduces my Life points to zero at the end of my turn. I did my best- I have no regrets. Alito, Kaz, Havok, he's ripe for the picking.'

Nash then withdrew, and Maddy asked him to come up, which he did. When he came back up, him and Maddy made eye contact, and she shook his hand, before sitting down again. 'Nash, I don't know how to put this, but...' 'Let me guess Phil- you reckon I was a bit of an idiot there.' 'Completely the opposite- I think what you did showed massive guts and trust.' 'I wanted to show that I've changed. Don't believe that I'm not after your titles though.'

'Any time, any place, we'll defend against you.' 'Next tournament in Palm Beach- you and Maddy vs. me and Girag.' 'Maddy, Nash has just challenged us.' 'Whatever the challenge, I'd love to accept- it's an excuse to team with you.' 'That's sorted then. Warning- we'll have to deal with the French Revolution as well.' 'How about we all work together to get rid of 'em?' 'Yeah- nice one.'

Kaz- 'I draw. I activate the ability of Thunderspark Dragon. By detaching all 3 overlay units, I can destroy all other monsters on the field. Go- _Thunderbolt Blast!' _Thunderspark Dragon discharged immense amounts of electricity, destroying Chaos Commissioner and Life Stream Dragon (Alito LP:2400-2100, Leo LP:200-900).

"Just before your effect activated, I used Dian Keto the Cure Master, giving me 1000 more Life points." 'It's time to finish things off. Thunderspark Dragon, finish him off with _Thunderspa__rk Shockwave!' _Thunderspark Dragon fired a massive thunderbolt at Leo, but he was ready for it. 'I activate Draining Shield. This negates your attack and recovers my Life points by the Attack of your monster (Leo/Doom LP:900-3300)."

'Fine- I have Double or Nothing! This doubles the attack of my monster, and lets it attack again (Atk:2400-4800).' "I activate Synchro Sparkle. By banishing a Synchro monster in my graveyard from play, it's Attack points recover my Life points. Say goodbye to Power Tool Dragon (Leo/Doom LP:3300-5600)."

'Fine- I activate Double Tension. Because my monster's launched a second attack this turn, it doubles the Attack points of my monster again (Atk:4800-9600).' Havok and Kaz's eyes then glowed black. 'Let this be a lesson to you not to oppose Serotonin. Finish this off Thunderspark Dragon with _Double Thunderspark Tension Shockwave!' _Thunderspark fired 3 massive balls of electricity at Leo, which just mowed Leo down (Leo/Doom LP:5600-0000).

After the duel, Serotonin came down. Instead of attacking the fallen Leo though, they just posed over him. Some black guy then came out, which seemed to put the wind up Maddy, who hid behind me. 'What's up Mads?' 'Don't let him anywhere near me.' 'Who is it?' 'Tom.' 'What- **the **Tom?' 'Yeah- that Tom. I'm not going back to who I once was.'

He had a mic, but warned Serotonin off first. Blair got up. 'Serotonin, down.' "I know you don't recognise me, but I'm here for something important. Maddy Smith, I've spent 6 months looking for you, so come out wherever you are.' Maddy then emerged, with her hair over her left eye.

'Maddy- what's happened to you?" Maddy said nothing. 'Please Maddy- answer me. What's happened to you- have you been brainwashed or something?' She still said nothing. 'Maddy, please talk to me.' 'Why... why did you come here?' 'I want you to tell me where you've been.'

He then went to hug her, but was rebuffed. 'Stop.' 'Why? I missed you. Or would Rhydian object?' 'Rhydian is an enemy of our state.' 'What are you talking about?' 'Get away- you are not a Renegade.' 'A what?' 'I'm Maddy Robinson-Cummings- the Interim President of the Renegades.'

'Your surname's Smith, not Robinson-Cummings.' 'Do not disrespect my Mum- she died.' 'What- Emma's dead?' 'Who's Emma? My Mum was Hannah Cummings. And she's dead.' 'So you're coming home then?' 'My home... how can I go back home?' 'Easily- we all want you to return to us- Mr. Jefferies is waiting for you at Bradlington High still.'

'My home is not there anymore.' 'Stop messing around Maddy- this Hannah was not your Mum, she's evidently stolen and brainwashed you. She crushed your heart.' 'My heart.' Maddy then snapped, and savaged Tom with her claws, leaving him with cuts all over his face.

Maddy then looked up at me, and I threw a bag down to her. She then undid the bag, and it contained broken glass. She howled. The rest was shocking... for everyone apart from me. As Tom was getting back up, she superkicked him in the side of the head, knocking him senseless.

She then waited for him to get up. When he did, she looked at me, and blew me a kiss, before lifting him up, and then looking around, before giving him a running sit-out powerbomb into the broken glass, making him scream in agony, as the shocked crowd just stared on in silence. She then came back up.

'Wasn't that going a bit far?' 'Astrid, when you've been with us longer, you'll realise that Maddy held back.' 'I had to do that- I needed to prove myself. M18 4 Ever.' 'You didn't need to prove yourself to me Maddy. I support what you did to him though, for what he said.' 'Thanks Dad. Where's Nash gone?' 'Who knows? I hadn't even noticed that he'd left.'

Just then, Saeed-Ul-Habarak came out, with Kari, Bronk, and Cathy, to Saeed's music. "The following is the decider in the WAR series. Introducing first, representing Team Birchall, from Kabul, Iraq, he is Saeed-Ul-Habarak. And his tag-team partner, representing the Defectors, from Palm Beach, Florida, she is Cathy Katherine. And their tag-team partners, representing C+C, from Dodge City Kansas, Kari Tsukumo. And her tag-team partner, from Scotts Bluff, Nebraska, he is Bronk Stone."

The 4 of them came out, and Saeed started chanting in Arabic, while Cathy just walked straight down to the duelling zone. Bronk was trying to appease the fans, and Kari was... well, doing quite the opposite. "Rio Kastle, rot in hell. Rio Kastle, you're a disgrace, Rio Kastle, you should have died!"

The fans didn't like that. They did like the Barian Alliance music hitting though. 'Introducing their opponents, representing Team Robinson-Cummings, and representing the Barian Alliance, from Barian World, Girag and Mizar! And their tag-team partners, making their first official tour appearance as a team for over 4 years, from Manchester, England, they are Lydia and Freja Mckinna- the Renegades Mafia!'

Girag and Mizar came out first, closely followed by Lydia and Freja, who were wearing sunglasses (in Finland!). Freja and Lydia then came bouncing down to the duelling zone (almost literally), and took off their jackets in a teasing way, while Girag and Mizar came down at a steadier pace. Mizar and Girag then battlemorphed, while Freja looped her hair, and Lydia checked that her hair was still in shape. Everyone then activated their duel disks, and started the duel.

8 person WAR tag match: Team Robinson-Cummings (Girag LP:4000, Mizar LP:4000, Freja LP:4000 and Lydia Mckinna LP:4000 vs. Kari Tsukumo LP:4000, Cathy Katherine LP:4000, Saeed Ul-Habarak LP:4000, and Bronk Stone LP:4000

Turn 1- Freja- 'I'll start. I draw. I activate Advance Summon, enabling me to summon out a Level 7 monster because I have no cards on my field and no Level 4 or below monsters in my hand. I summon Barrel Dragon (Atk:2600). I'll throw down 5 face-downs and end my turn.'

Turn 2- Kari- "My turn. I summon out Gagaga Magician (Atk:1500). Next, I summon out Kagetokage through it's own ability (Atk:1100). Now it's time to Xyz summon- I'll overlay two Level 4 monsters, to build the overlay network. I summon out Number 39- Utopia (Atk:2500)."

'Yeah- nice try. I activate my face-down- Summon Limit. Because of this, you may not summon more than twice per turn.' "Fine- I'll activate my Plan B- Bound Wand. This gives my Magician 100 Attack points for each of it's Levels. It has 4, so that's 400 extra points (Atk:1500-1900)."

'Phil, can I ask you something?' 'Blair, you can ask me nearly anything.' 'What exactly are Freja and Lydia's decks a reflection of?' 'They're a reflection of their personalities. Freja's is unpredictable and completely insane- a pure gambling deck. Lydia's is a little more reserved, but still extremely unconventional- it's very hard to predict either of their moves.'

'I'll activate a second face-down. It's called Dangerous Machine Type-6.' "What does that do?" 'You'll have to wait to find out.' "I end my turn with a face-down."

Girag- 'My turn. I activate the effect of Freja's Dangerous Machine Type-6. Now she rolls a die. Freja, take it away.' 'Ok sweetheart. Here's the deal- my card has an effect depending on the dice roll. 1. I have to discard 1 card. 2. You have to discard one random card from your hand. 3. I draw a card. 4. You draw a card. 5. I get to destroy any monster on your field. 6. This card is kaput. You feeling lucky? Cause I sure am.'

Freja then tossed the die into the air, and it twisted around a bit, before landing. 'In case you can't read, it's a 3. So Girag, take your card.' 'With pleasure. I summon out Fire Hand (Atk:1600). Fire Hand, destroy Gagaga Magician.' "You've lost it. Gagaga, meet it halfway.' Fire Hand unleashed a small tornado of fire, but Gagaga Magician sent it back with it's Bound Wand, destroying it, and leaving embers to float down to the ground (Girag LP:4000-3700).

'You'll regret that. When Fire Hand is destroyed, I can destroy one monster you control. I choose Kagetokage.' "Why that?" 'I don't like reptiles.' The embers burnt away at Kagetokage, destroying it in an instant. 'What's more, I now get to summon out Ice Hand (Def.:1600).'

'I'll throw down a face-down and end my turn.'

Bronk- "That means it's my turn. I summon out Tin Goldfish (Def.:2000). I now activate it's ability, letting me also summon Aye-Iron (Atk:1600). I now activate the spell Xyz Support. This lets me Xyz summon with one less monster. I overlay my two Level 4 monsters to build the overlay network. I summon out Tin Archduke (Atk:2200)."

'I'm scared... not.' "You will be- at least after I activate the ability of my Archduke. By detaching an overlay unit, it can switch Ice Hand from Defence to Attack mode." TIN Archduke used up one overlay unit, and Ice Hand switched to Attack mode (Atk:1400). "Tin Archduke, destroy Ice Hand with _Sword of Archduke." _Tin Archduke slashed Ice Hand with it's sword, destroying it (Girag LP:3700-3100).

'When Ice Hand is destroyed, it can destroy one Spell or Trap card of yours. I choose to destroy Kari's face-down.' The fragments of ice from Ice Hand froze Kari's face-down (Gagagarush), destroying it. "That was a good turn for us. I'll end it with a face-down."

Lydia- 'My turn now, so let's go. I activate the effect of Dangerous Machine-Type-8. Freja, do your thing sis.' Freja then tossed the die into the air, and it landed quicker this time. 'It's a 3.' 'Thanks Freja. I'll take my card now.' 'Good- do your thing Lydia.'

'Oh, I will do. I activate the Field spell known as The Sanctuary In The Sky.' The field then changed, to look like a Roman pantheon in the clouds. 'With this out, I can Special summon this card without tribute. Meet The Agent of Entropy- Uranus (Atk:2200). Next, I activate it's ability, letting me send The Agent of Miracles- Jupiter to the graveyard, and make it's Level the same as Jupiter's (Level:5-4).'

'Next, I summon The Agent of Wisdom- Mercury (Atk:0000). Now I'll use my Level 4 Uranus to give Level 4 Mercury a tune-up. It's time to see the beauty of the world that we can create- the Renegades will create. I summon out Stardust Dragon (Atk:2500).' "Gotta admit- that's one good looking monster." "Get a grip Bronk."

'Lydia, I'll help you again. I activate Tuner's Call. This lets Lydia add a Tuner monster from her deck to her hand.' 'Thanks sis. I now activate Level Tuning, which reduces the Levels of all our monsters by one for rest of the turn (Stardust Level:8-7, Barrel Dragon Level:7-6). Now I activate Double Summon, letting me summon out Majestic Dragon (Atk:0000).'

'I still have two cards in my hand, and I'll use them both. I discard The Agent of Wisdom- Mercury to summon out Power Giant through it's ability, and reduce it's Level by the Level of Mercury (Atk:2200, Level:6-2).' 'Let's do it Lydia!' 'Too right Freja! I use my Level 1 Majestic Dragon to give Level 2 Power Giant and Level 7 Stardust Dragon a tune-up. Feel our majestic might because this is our night of flight, our time to shine. I summon out Majestic Star Dragon (Atk:3700).'

'Majestic Star Dragon, I'm going to use you to take out Tin Archduke with _Star Shred Blast!' _"I activate the trap Downforce. This negates your Attack.' 'Bronk, you've just sealed Kari's doom. I activate my 3rd face-down card. It's called Double or Nothing. This doubles my monster's Attack points, and gives it another attack. Attack Gagaga again with _Star Shred Blast!'_

Majestic Star Dragon soared into the air, before corkscrewing down into Gagaga Magician, ripping it to pieces, and sending Kari tumbling over (Kari LP:4000-0000). "Thanks Bronk- you totally screwed me over there." "I didn't mean to. Rio's hot though- why do you want her to be dead?" "For what she did to him." Kari then left.

'I end my turn.'

Saeed- "It is my turn. I summon Noble Knight Brothers (Def.:2400). I now activate their ability, letting me summon another Noble Knight Brothers (Def.:2400). I end my turn."

Mizar- 'That was pathetic. I draw. Because you control an Xyz monster, I can Special summon Radius, the Half Moon Dragon (Atk:1400). Because it was summoned by it's own effect, it's Level becomes 8 (Level:4-8). Next, I can summon this card without tributing because I have a Level 8 monster on the field. I summon out Parsec, the Interstellar Dragon (Atk:800).'

'I now overlay my two Level 8 monsters to build the overlay network. I summon out Number 107- Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon (Atk:3000). I now activate Monster Reborn, reviving Radius (Atk:1400). Freja, I hope I can rely on you here, because I'm activating Dragon King's Demise.'

'What does that do Dad?' 'It destroys all monsters on the field. Then everyone loses Life points equal to the combined Attack points of all Dragon-type monsters that were destroyed. I think Mizar's relying on Freja having something like Half Unbreak down.' 'I gave her Damage Polariser earlier as a sign of trust.'

'Mads- you've just won this for us. I'm activating Damage Polariser. This negates all of our damage, and inflicts it to you as damage. So you're losing 8800 Life points.' "But that means we'll lose." 'Correct. The next time you stick up for the bad guy, think of what you're up against first, ok?' 'We are one- we are united against you.'

Dragon King's Demise triggered, and a fireball engulfed the whole field, but Damage Polariser formed an electrified barrier around Mizar, Freja, Lydia, and Girag, ending the duel (Saeed LP:4000-0000, Cathy LP:4000-0000).

After the duel, Me and Maddy came down, and shook the hands of Mizar and Girag. Mr. Jorgensen then came down with the WAR trophy. 'We're not taking the trophy. At least not yet. There's a war yet to come.' We then went backstage to check on Lukas, who was in the dressing room with Tee.

'All I am- all I was. This is my time.' 'Lukas, please take this- we''re all together in this.' 'Thanks Tee.' An interview with Birchall from earlier in the day then came on the screen. "So Mr. Birchall, what is the story with the deck you're now using.' 'It's a trophy- of my latest conquest. Hannah was an achievement for me- it's just a pity that I had to kill her. One day, after the Renegades are all gone and only Phil remains, maybe I'll find a way to revive Hannah as my corpse bride."

"So you killed Hannah?" "Have you not listened to me? The Renegades made that mistake, and now they pay for that- every day they live. The pain won't last much longer." "What are your views on Maddy Robinson-Cummings' "destiny"?" "She is nothing but a little puppy waiting for me to put her down. She's even turning against her own friends now. Friendship is fickle, isn't it?"

"What do you think this HRC thing is about? Is it your doing?" "It's not my doing- I'll not take credit for that. It's probably another "renegade" trying desperately to get me to go away. I'm going nowhere- the WDC wanted me back." The interview was then terminated with Birchall cackling.

An interviewer then came into the dressing room. 'Mr. Chipperfield, an interview if we may.' 'Sure.' 'First of all, why did you make this challenge?' 'Respect.' 'Now you accused Birchall of being a coward. Is that because you wanted the duel?' 'It's the truth.' 'Your views on the complicated relationship between Rhydian and Birchall?' 'Nothing to do with me.'

Lukas then lifted his head up. 'Birchall, I hope you hear me. If you look deep inside, it's where my demons hide. Tonight my demons are coming out to play.' Maddy then grabbed the mic. 'You wanna know the difference between Birchall and Rhydian? Rhydian knows what he's doing is wrong. But he earned respect when he faced Dad. Birchall could never earn that respect because he can't do things his way- he has to steal. And from a dead person? That's low, even for scum like him. He calls Dad "Brady"? Maybe he should look at himself first, because Karma's a bitch. And she don't like playing games.' 'Ladies and gentlemen, it is your main event- Renegade vs. Renegade Killa- Birchall vs. Lukas Chipperfield.'

'Lukas, take these.' 'Cheers.' 'We put our faith in you. Do us proud.' 'I'll die trying if maybe.' 'Take Number 83 then. No guarantees you can use it, but may as well try.' 'Fits into my strategy perfectly. My plan is that I know his weakness- ego. He'll want to use Number 5, but he won't use Renegades Unite. I'll attack from the word go. I'll even take my chances and let him take the first turn.' 'Excellent strategy- Birchall will struggle if you go all out attack.' 'Lukas, this is your time.' Him and Tee hugged, and he left, alone.

Point of View- Rob

Birchall came out first, to his music. He played to the crowd (who objected), before starting the long walk. All of the Brave Bones were watching on (Kieran was wearing a neck brace after the attack from Phil a couple of weeks back). When he got to the duelling zone, he calmly took his jacket off, and got Hannah's deck out.

The Renegades music then hit to a huge response, as Lukas came out, on his own. He said nothing, and had his head down as he started his long walk, and the whole crew arrived. 'Hey Phil- well done for earlier.' 'Cheers Rob.' 'Do you really believe that Lukas can do this?' 'Hannah's deck is nearly invincible in the right hands. Birchall can't use it properly. Lukas has one option- attack.'

"The following is your main event, and is Renegade vs. Renegade Killa. Introducing first, standing in the zone to my right- he comes to us from London, England. He is the Joint-Leader of the Brave Bones, and the Renegade Killa- Birchall." Birchall started grinning sadistically, to a chorus of boos.

"And his opponent, standing in the zone to my left, he represents the Renegades and Black Rose Inc., and he comes to us from the Bishop and Clerk Islands, Tasmania, Australia. He is the Tasmanian Devil- Lukas Chipperfield.' Lukas just raised his fist, before raising his head. Both Lukas and Birchall activated their duel disks, starting the duel.

Renegade vs. Renegade Killa- Birchall LP:4000 vs. Lukas Chipperfield LP:4000

Turn 1- Birchall- 'You can have the first turn.' "Thanks very much scum." He then put the wig on again. "I draw. I summon out Mermail Abyssocea (Def.:1900). Next, because I have a Water-type monster on the field, I can summon out Silent Angler (Atk:800). I now overlay my two Level 4 monsters to build the overlay network. I summon Gagagigo the Risen (Atk:2950)."

"I'll end my turn with a face-down."

Turn 2- Lukas- 'I draw. Because you control a monster and I do not, I can summon Cyber Dragon without a tribute (Atk:2100). Next, I activate Polymerisation, fusing together two more Cyber Dragons to create Cyber Twin Dragon (Atk:2800). I now activate Limiter Removal, doubling the Attack points of all Machine-type monsters on the field until the end of the turn. At turns end though, they're all destroyed (CD Atk:2100-4200, CTD Atk:2800-5600).'

'Cyber Dragon, destroy Gagagigo the Risen with _Strident Blast!' _"I activate Enchanted Javelin. This gives me Life points equal to your monster's Attack points (Atk:4000-8200)." Cyber Dragon burned away at Gagagigo, destroying it (Birchall LP:8200-6950). 'Cyber Twin Dragon, _Twin Strident Blast!' _Cyber Twin Dragon fired fire out of both of it's heads at Birchall, singeing him somewhat, and burning his wig (Birchall LP:6950-1350).

"You didn't defeat me, so say goodbye to your monsters." 'I end my turn with a face-down.' Both of Lukas' monsters were destroyed because of Limiter Removal.

Birchall- "I draw. I activate Monster Reborn, reviving Gagagigo the Risen (Atk:2950). Next, I summon out Mermail Abyssnose (Atk:1500). Funny init- how Hannah's deck is destroying the club she made?" 'Hilarious. Just attack you coward.' "You're still defiant. I might offer you a place in a real club. Abyssnose, attack directly." 

Abyssnose hit Lukas with it's iron fist, reducing his Life points (Lukas LP:4000-2500). "Any last words?" Lukas just did a crotch chop. 'Take your offer and suck it. I summon out Ogre of the Scarlet Sorrow. I can do this because you declared a second attack during the Battle Phase. It's Attack and Defence are equal to the amount of damage I took from the first attack (Def.:0000-1500).'

"Ok, I'll just use Gagagigo to attack that Ogre, because ogre's don't have happily ever afters, do they Brady?" 'Leave him out of it- you need to focus on me.' Gagagigo swamped Ogre of the Scarlet Sorrow, destroying it. "I'll just end my turn with a face-down."

Lukas- 'I draw. I activate Pot of Greed giving me 2 more cards. Next, I activate Pot of Avarice. This takes 5 cards from my graveyard, and puts them back into my deck, before it's shuffled. I then draw 2 cards.' He then shuffled 5 cards (Ogre of the Scarlet Sorrow, Cyber Dragon, Cyber Twin Dragon, Polymerisation and Limiter Removal), before drawing.'

'I activate my face-down. It's called Powerful Rebirth. This lets me revive a monster with one extra Level and 100 more Attack points. I revive Cyber Dragon (Atk:2100-2200, Level:5-6). Next, because I control a Machine-type monster, I can summon out Comoron (Atk:900).'

'When Comoron is summoned, it can summon out another Machine-type monster from my deck. I summon out a second Comoron (Atk:900). I now activate Zero Reverse. By lowering the Attack of Cyber Dragon to zero, I can draw 2 cards (Atk:2200-0000). Perfect- just what I needed. I activate Tannhauser Gate. This combines the Levels of my 3 monsters because they're all on the same type (Level:12).'

Maddy then howled. 'You ready?' 'Ready.' As I was shouting for Lukas to win, Maddy prepared herself. 'I overlay my three Level 12 monsters to build the overlay network. Time for you to witness true guts, true power, because Maddy is ready for anything- that's why she's a great leader. I summon out Number 83- Maddy, the Legendary Wolfblood (Atk:4000).'

"No way." 'Yes way. I'll use Number 83 to destroy Mermail Abyssnose, and end your reign of terror again.' "Good luck with that- I activate Salute Slash. During the Battle phase, I can activate this from my hand, giving all my monsters Attack points equal to the Attack points of the attacking monster until your turn ends (Abyssnose Atk:1500-5500, Gagagigo Atk:2950-6950).'

Number 83 went to claw at Abyssnose, but got punched in the ribs (which hurt Maddy), and reduced Lukas' Life points (Lukas LP:2500-1000). 'I end my turn with a face-down (Abyssnose Atk:5500-1500, Gagagigo Atk:6950-0000).'

Birchall- "I draw. It's time to end you. Gagagigo, swamp him." 'I activate my face-down. It's one of my calling cards- Mustdie Draw. Here's the deal- I draw a card from my deck. If it happens to be a spell or monster, I discard it. If it happens to be a trap card however, I can negate the attack and activate the trap immediately. I draw.'

Gagagigo then went to swamp Lukas, but Mustdie Draw created a barrier around Lukas. 'I drew a trap. And you won't like it. It's called Xyz Reborn. This revives an Xyz monster from my graveyard, and Xyz Reborn becomes an overlay unit. Be revived, Number 83 (Atk:4000).'

"I activate Overlay All In One. This lets me banish all monsters on my field, and then use them to Xyz summon a monster with less Attack points than the combined total of the monsters banished. I overlay my two monsters to build the overlay network, and summon out Number 5- Northern Lights Dolphin (Atk:3000).

"I now activate the ability of Number 5. By detaching an overlay unit, I can take any card I like from my deck, and insert it into my hand. I'll activate it now- Rank-up Magic Brave Evolution. This ranks my monster up into a Chaos Xyz monster. Go- Brave Xyz Evolution!" Birchall took his top off, and seemed to get pumped.

"I'm done with the kid gloves now. I'm done messing around- now I want to destroy. I summon out Chaos Number 5- Northern Lights Storm Dolphin (Atk:3750). I now activate it's ability, using 1 Chaos Overlay Unit to half the Attack of your monster, and it will devour your soul."

Storm Dolphin shot a tidal typhoon at Number 83, halving it's Attack points (Atk:4000-2000). "Oh sorry, did I say it would devour your soul? How silly of me- it's going to devour Maddy's soul instead." Just then, Maddy dropped to one knee. 'I can't keep this up much longer. No- I have to keep it up.' Phil then got down to her level. 'Maddy, let the power flow- you are primal.' That seemed to awaken something inside of Maddy, who gave her power more.

"Storm Dolphin, end Maddy for good." 'I'm not gonna let you do that- I will not lose. I activate my face-down- Final Xyz. This destroys my Xyz monster, and then we both take damage equal to it's Attack points.' Final Xyz then activated, and Maddy's wolf form vanished in a violent blast of fire, which engulfed the whole field (Lukas LP:1000-0000, Birchall LP:1350-0000).

After the duel, Birchall turned to leave, but he was stopped by the Barian Alliance and Rhydian. "Rhydian, what are you doing with them?" He then flashed his eyes gold. 'I'm a wolfblood, and you're not destroying my race.' "I thought you didn't like Phil." 'I don't. I do like Rio though, and I like my race- they're worth protecting.'

He then turned to his left, and Freja and Lydia stood side-by-side with the Heroes of the Orient. He tried to push his way though, but they didn't budge. He turned to his right, but Woodrow, Stormer, and Serotonin were stood there. And when he turned back, Lukas and the rest of the Renegades were stood there.

'No escape Birchall.' He tried to escape, but he couldn't. He dropped Hannah's deck, and Nash grabbed it. It then turned into a stalemate with Phil and Birchall both staring at Nash. He feigned throwing the deck to Birchall, before passing it to Phil, who had it kicked out of his hands by Kari. It then turned into an all out war again.

This time, there was no contest- Birchall's team was completely dominated, with a highlight being Phil and Girag giving Kieran a double chokeslam. Birchall turned to grab the deck and then escape, but Maddy just flew into him with a spear, and then Blair trapped him in a leg vice.

Astrid used Maddy and then Phil as springboards, before hitting a 450° splash onto Kari's ribs (Maddy had speared Kari right at the start of the brawl). She then grabbed the deck, and slid underneath the onrushing Cathy, before running out of the exit. Phil then took the WAR trophy, and they escaped after Lukas had slapped Birchall in the face.

**What will be the fallout from the WAR? Where's Rio being moved to? And what's the deal with Phil's haircut (or rather lack thereof)? To find out, tune in to Renegades: A New Dawn Chapter 7: Takeover **


	7. Takeover

Renegades: A New Dawn

Chapter VII- Takeover

Point of View- Astrid

Maddy was first to meet me outside. 'You got the deck Astrid?' 'Yeah.' I then gave it to her. 'Good job Astrid. We've just gotta wait for everyone else- the corridors are crawling with Birchall's mates.' 'How did you get out so quickly then?' Maddy then transformed into a timber wolf, shocking me.

She then transformed back, just as a couple of locals were passing. 'That's your other half?' 'Yeah- my wolf form. I was gonna show you in the base, but I decided that I may as well.' 'Thanks. I know that I've got a lot to learn.' 'Learn on the job- you're following Jodi around for a couple of weeks, just to settle in. Then we'll sort out your official role.' 'Thanks.'

Dad then came out, with Blair over his shoulder. 'What's happened to Blair?' 'She slipped on the wet floor and landed awkwardly on her ankle. Everyone else is coming as well- we all seem to have made it out. It's practically a riot in there.' 'Yeah- I'm not surprised. It was bound to end up like that.'

'Me and Jodi need a meeting with you in your office tomorrow by the way.' 'Yeah- sure. Jodi knows when I'm not busy, so yeah- we can do that. Why?' 'It's an ambitious AI system that we've devised between us. We'll explain more tomorrow.' 'Great- thanks. I'm very interested in it.'

'I'm glad you're interested Maddy- you're doing a great job leading the club.' 'Thanks- I need to ask you something.' 'Yeah, sure.' 'Do you know when you're going to be ready to return?' 'Next couple of weeks, why?' 'Because I'm enjoying it, but I've got college to think about as well.' 'We'll talk about it Maddy.' 'Ok, thanks.'

Everyone else then started pouring out. 'Right- let's go. Blair, can you walk.' 'Yeah- it's painful, but I can walk so it can't be too bad. I've probably twisted my ankle.' 'Fair enough. Dad, could you stay with Blair to make sure she keeps up?' 'Yeah- she's not an invalid though.' 'I know- it's just that we need to move quickly. I know how difficult it can be moving with a twisted ankle- I've done it enough times.' 'Don't worry Phil- she's thinking for my own good.' 'Yeah- I know.'

'Actually, can I ask you something Dad?' 'Sure.' 'Would we be best stopping in a hotel overnight?' 'Whatever you see fit.' 'How long does the flight take?' '4/5 hours.' 'That would mean that we get to the airport in the small hours.' 'Yeah.' 'Why don't we just get a few hours kip, and then fly out first thing tomorrow morning?'

'How do we pay?' 'If Blair can pay, then yeah. I'll pay her back.' 'Yeah- sure. No pressure on paying me back, just do it as and when you can Mads.' 'Thanks. Everyone can arrange between themselves who's sharing with who.' 'Me and Freja will share with Phil- he mentioned that he wanted to talk to us about this new AI system.' 'Yeah- Lydia fancies herself as some sort of tech goddess.' 'Thank you Freja.'

'It's probably best if me and Astrid share- we've been having really good chats recently.' 'I'd like to be in your room Mads- we've barely had chance to chat since you took charge.' 'Ok, how about Kris and Jade?' 'I thought you and Jade would be in the same room Maddy- wolfbloods together and all of that.' 'It's cheaper to have two doubles than a single and a triple.' 'Why's Phil getting a triple room then?' 'Because he'll be paying the extra- him and Blair agreed that earlier. He'd give her the money to pay for an extra bed.'

Mizar then came running up. 'Hey Mizar, great job earlier.' 'Yes- I know. That's not quite why I'm here.' 'Go on.' 'I wanted to talk to you and Phil on your own Maddy.' 'Only if Jodi's allowed to come as well- she's my P.A.' 'And I'm not attending without Blair- she needs to know these things.' 'Fine. Everyone else, follow the signs for the hotel.'

Point of View- Phil

We then pulled over. 'What is it Mizar?' 'I've been doing some soul-searching.' 'And.' 'When this whole Barian Alliance thing is over, I want to join your club.' 'We'll talk about it nearer the time Mizar- we don't do pre-contract agreements usually.' 'Fine- just wanted an answer.' 'You've got your answer. We're off.'

'Do you think we should let him join?' 'No- it's your decision though Maddy.' 'If I were you, I'd tell him where to go.' 'Being a little extreme there Blair- they're useful allies.' 'Trust me- this alliance between us is purely for us. Once we have no more need for them, we'll make it clear that the alliance is over.'

We caught up eventually with everyone else. 'I thought you'd be at the hotel by now.' 'We would be if we hadn't have taken a detour to avoid Powerplay and Birchall.' 'No worries. Let's just go.' We quickly reached the hotel. When we did, we signed in, and went straight to bed.

Well, when I say **we **went to bed. 'Excuse me Freja, who said you could get in my bed?' 'I did.' 'Be obedient, and you'll be allowed to stay in here.' 'Whatever you want master.' 'Get in.' 'Ok.' She did that. We then went to sleep (together), and stayed there the whole night.

The next morning, I woke up around the same time as Freja. 'Morning Freja.' 'Morning. You want me to get out?' 'No- tie your hair back, and get back in here.' As she was doing that, Blair opened the door. 'Blair, have you heard of knocking?' 'Yeah- I was just coming in to warn you that I've been throwing up half the night.'

'Ok, thanks.' 'Are you two?' 'Yeah- we are. Taking it slowly though.' 'You don't mind, do you Blair?' Blair just smiled, and closed the door. Freja then lay back onto me. 'I know this isn't a permanent thing. It's gonna be fun while it lasts though.' 'Yeah- you can keep me company, at least until Rio's back up and running.' 'Fine by me- it's my job.'

Freja then took her top off. 'Nice features.' 'You not worried about waking Lydia up?' 'No- Blair drugged her last night. She's not waking up for about 30 minutes yet.' 'Great. So, what do we do?' 'Well, we're yet to have sex.' 'Yeah, I forgot.' Just as we were about to start, there was a knock on the door.

When I opened the door, a girl with ginger hair, who I recognised as Emily Young (recruited in Australia) was stood there, motionless, with her head down. 'Who called you here?' She just raised her head, and I could see she was possessed. 'H.R.C is coming- beware. Her return is soon- she will take revenge on all who have wronged her. The ascension is coming.'

'What do you mean?' 'At the feast of fools, only the truest of souls shall survive her wrath. H.R.C I'm coming.' She then vanished in a puff of smoke. 'Who was that?' 'Some girl we recruited in Australia. It's the H.R.C stuff again.' 'I'm trying to work it out, but I've not really got anywhere.' 'I'll be back in a minute- need to talk to Blair and Maddy about this.' 'Ok.'

I then went to Blair and Maddy's room. When I got in there, Maddy was just waking up. 'Dad, what are you doing in here?' 'I wanted to talk to you and Blair about this H.R.C stuff- I've just received another message.' 'Probably the same message we just received.' 'Did yours talk about "her" returning at the feast of fools and the ascension coming?'

'No- ours talked about "the queen locating her throne, throwing off anyone who is in her way". It's strange.' 'I've worked some of it out.' 'What've you worked out Blair?' 'The feast of fools. There's a tournament on the 21st December called Feast of Fools, in Newcastle. Perhaps it's there?' 'Good thinking.'

'We know that H.R.C is female, right?' 'Seems so.' 'And she's playing mind games with us... it has to be someone connected to the duelling world somehow, because they know where and when the tournaments are. And they're able to hack into the systems at all the tournaments, so they have some form of computer skills.'

'You're right Maddy- they do... Blair, can I speak to you a moment?' 'Sure.' We went out of the door. 'What's up?' 'Do you think the hacking stuff could be Maddy?' 'I was thinking that, but I didn't want it to sound like I was doubting her or taking the biscuit with your daughter.' 'I've been thinking it for a while. She's been acting... well almost psychotic lately. I know she's a little off the wall, but she's completely lost it I think.'

'You really think she'd keep something like this from you though?' 'I don't know- that's the whole point of this. I don't know whether or not she'd keep something like this from me, especially if it makes her feel like she's carrying on Hannah's will or something.' 'She's been vanishing for long periods in college as well apparently- her mate D-Day's asked me for ideas on where she could be on several occasions.'

'Any ideas?' 'I wanted to ask you the same thing.' 'Peak's Point?' 'Hannah's happy place... it must be there. She must be sneaking out of college and using Eolas, and coming back before any members of staff realise. How do we prove it though?' 'Dunno- if she uses Primal Eolas, she'll probably use normal Eolas first to make sure that I'm not there, and then go.'

'Cameras?' 'Where would we put them?' 'Car park?' 'It would need an incredible zoom function... I've had an idea. I'll park up somewhere near Peak's Point, and you tail Maddy all day. You tell me when she vanishes, and then I drive up to see if my hunch is right.' 'It's an idea. Won't Maddy hear us speaking?' 'Her wolfblood powers are weaker when she's tired. And she's really not been herself with her powers either.'

Maddy then came out. 'Blair, if you wanna know where I've been going, just ask me in future.' 'You heard what we were talking about?' 'Some of it. The truth is that I've been going to Peak's Point- I've been creating a memorial for Mum there. I didn't want either of you to know until I'd done it because I thought you'd try and stop me.'

'Maddy, we wouldn't try to stop you.' She then started crying into my chest. 'Please Dad- I need help. Anything to take this pain away from me- I can't take the pain any longer.' 'I'll get you the help- however I can.' I then had an idea. 'Just going to phone someone up Maddy.'

I then made the call. 'Hello?' 'Hi Neil, it's Phil Robinson-Cummings here. I'm sorry to bug you at this time.' 'No worries- got a tournament to prepare for. How can I help?' 'You know Ronnie?' 'Yeah.' 'Could you get the details for Dr. Steve Peters from him for me possibly?' 'I'll try mate- can't promise anything though. Actually, I'll just ask him now.'

He put the phone down, and came back a couple of minutes later. 'Any luck?' 'Got a phone number.' 'Go on.' '0786924536.' 'Gotcha- I'll contact him when I get chance.' 'Ronnie also mentioned that he's only taking calls until midday today because he's got a client.' 'Neil, you're a life saver.' 'Uh, thanks. I try to help.' 'See you around.' 'Bye mate.'

I then went back. 'Who were you on the phone to?' 'Neil Robertson- the snooker player.' 'You've got his number?' 'Yeah- mate of a mate passed it on. I've got the number for a sports psychologist.' 'Oh yeah?' 'Yeah. I'm not telling you who unless I get this sorted.' I then left to make a second call.

'Hello, this is Dr. Steve Peters. How may I help you?' 'It's Phil Robinson-Cummings here- I had your number passed onto me by Ronnie O'Sullivan.' 'How may I help?' 'My daughter Maddy- she's in need of a psychologist to give her some urgent help, and I thought you were well renowned for being able to crack even the toughest of nuts to coin a term.'

'Yeah- depends when.' 'When have you got an appointment.' 'I've got one today at 2:45pm at my office in Hampshire.' 'Ok, we'll be there. Will you need me to leave you two alone?' 'I'll decide that after making some observations first.' 'Ok, that's fine. Where in Hampshire?' 'Wallis Road, Havant.' 'Ok, cheers. Bye.' 'Bye.'

I then returned. 'And...' 'And I've gotten Maddy an appointment with Dr. Steve Peters.' 'Thanks Dad. What about the price?' 'Me and Phil can club together with the money- I promise Maddy.' 'You'll get all the help you need.' 'Thanks Dad. Sorry about this.' 'I'm sorry I didn't see the signs earlier- they've been there for me to see, but I've ignored them.'

'I've been denial about what I needed all this time Dad- don't blame yourself for that. There's no point in blaming yourself for something that's not your fault. I just need to refocus. And when I say refocus, I mean refocus on us- I do want to become Renegades president. It's just not the right time for me to be the permanent one at the moment.'

'I understand, don't worry Maddy.' 'Thanks Dad. When do we need to leave?' '20 minutes or so. Maddy, just to let you know- me and Freja have got together.' 'That's good.' 'We both know it's not going to last that long- it's just a bit of fun.' 'When are you planning on asking Rio out then?'

'How did you know it would be Rio?' 'Me and Blair are related to you.' 'Could be Jodi.' 'You know as well as I do that she's happily single- like Blair. You can't hide anything from us Dad.' 'I know I shouldn't ask this Maddy, but this H.R.C stuff- any of it have anything to do with you?' 'I wish.'

'Sorry to interrupt you both, I just read something on the WDC website.' 'Go on.' 'You will not like it- Maddy's been suspended pending an investigation into the assault of Radley- they reckon he was drugged. It says that she's been suspended "Indefinitely" until such a time at which proof is submitted that says Maddy has not been dealing drugs. She's also being investigated for duel-fixing relating to the duel against Gregory Van Der Lier in Australia. Just thought you should know.'

'No- thanks Blair. It clears the way for you to take a couple of weeks off of duelling Maddy.' 'Yeah- thanks. I could do with it. What do we do about our title defence against Nash and Girag though?' 'The WDC have suspended you- they evidently have some sort of plan.' 'Yeah. Probably Nash and Girag vs. The French Revolution #1 contenders duel.'

'Yeah. Sorry about this, it's my phone. Hello? Slow down Rio- speak so I can understand? Brook House? What the hell are you doing there? Slow down- they've transferred you to a mental hospital without telling us? We've gotta get back to sort this out because there is no way you should be there. Padded cell? You're not mentally insane- we're coming soon.'

'What's up Dad?' 'Rio's been transferred to a mental hospital in Old Trafford.' 'What- the football stadium?' 'No- it's an actual area of Trafford. The stadium's in the area of Old Trafford- near the border with Stretford.' 'Oh right- sorry.' 'No worries- I know geography's not your strongest topic Blair.' 'Yeah- true. I'm not brilliant with it, especially European Geography. I got a C in it in 10th grade.'

'What's 10th grade Dad?' 'The American equivalent of Year 11.' 'How do you know this stuff?' 'Don't take my word for it- I'm not 100% sure on it. Anyway, I'd better get back to Freja.' I then did that. 'Where've you been?' 'Sorting a few things out.' 'We're ready to go anytime.' I then kissed her on the cheek. 'Now you're ready- I just need to get dressed.'

10 minutes later, we were ready to go. When we got to the airport, Rob was waiting for us. 'Thought you'd never turn up. Did I mention how cold it is out here- it's been snowing all day.' Sorry mate.' 'No worries.' 'I hope you're not too cold to fly the plane.' 'No- I'm not flying it though. Jack is.' 'Any reason?' 'He flew us here- takes some of the burden off of me.'

'True I suppose. Let's go.' 'Yeah- good idea.' 'Jack- could you drop me and Maddy off at the airport nearest to Havant.' 'Where's that?' 'Jack, take them to Southampton Airport- probably our best bet.' 'Sure mate- everyone else going to the usual one?' 'Yeah- thanks.' 'Ok, all aboard.'

Jack kept to his word, and dropped me and Maddy off at Southampton Airport. 'I've just had a look, and it's 26 miles to Havant. At our speeds, 20-30 minutes probably.' 'That's all we need.' 'What?' 'Mum's Dad is gonna be at the next tournament.' 'That's in Berlin.' 'What do we do?' 'If he wants a confrontation, he'll get one from me- I'll not back down from him. Remember- I know exactly what he's like. A bully, and a useless Dad. If it was up to him, Hannah would have been dead a long time before she did die.'

'So it was his fault the crash?' 'Yeah- I heard his whole plan. He planned to make the car crash, and then cut the brake cables to make it look like someone had set them up. Perfect plan, apart from one thing.' 'Which is.' 'Which is that the car burst into flames.' 'Yeah- bad for his plan.' 'Absolutely.'

When we got to the Psychologist's office, we had to sign in. "Hello, how may I help you?" 'Hi- we're here to see Dr. Steve Peters.' "Name please." 'Phillip Robinson-Cummings.' "For your daughter Maddy?" 'That's me.' "Ok, up two flights of stairs, room C16.1. 'Ok, thanks very much.' "Not a problem."

When we got there, Dr. Peters was there. 'Ah- you must be Phil and Maddy.' 'Yeah- that's us.' 'Brilliant. Do you want your Dad here Maddy?' 'For now please, yeah. Just until I get a bit more comfortable here.' 'Alright then- Mr. Robinson-Cummings, please take a seat.' 'Certainly.'

20 minutes later, Maddy asked if I could go, which I did. While waiting for her, I had an idea. 'Hello?' 'Hi Kris, it's me- Phil.' 'What's up?' 'I was wondering if you had a job?' 'Nah, why?' 'Because I've got a job for you.' Go on.' 'We're gonna start acting like real celebrities- I want you to be my stunt double.'

'Sounds cool. Any contract to fill out?' 'No- it's a handshake deal. But you'll have to look more like me.' 'With your hair at the moment, that's not too difficult. When are you gonna get a haircut man?' 'When something good happens. Same with when I next shave.' 'Fair enough. You competing at the next tournament?' 'Yeah- that's the plan.'

'So where are you now?' 'Havant, near Southampton. Maddy's having a counselling session.' 'Oh yeah- sorry.' 'You don't need to apologise mate.' 'Thanks. See you later mate.' 'Bye man.' Just as I got off of the phone, Maddy came out, brushing her hair to one side.

'How did it go?' 'Well thanks- we started discussing what happened, and why I blame myself and all of that stuff.' We then hugged. 'Thanks Dad.' 'No worries. I promised we'd help you. How do you feel about introducing more of a Hollywood theme to our duelling?' 'Yeah- great. Let's go home.' 'Yeah- base first.'

We then used Primal Eolas to go back to the base. When we got there, Kris was waiting outside, in something that looked like one of my jackets. 'Oh yeah Maddy- meet Kris Travison- my stunt double.' 'Nice- you've really thought this one out.' 'Yeah- you've just gotta decide on whether or not you want one now.'

'Yeah- why not.' 'I've got the perfect person in mind- Mortis.' 'Who'll take her place in Serotonin?' 'We can make one of the girls recruited in Australia a member of Serotonin- Maverick's being promoted anyway.' 'Who's going to be the head of the 6 girls in Serotonin then?' 'Kaz probably- it's Blair's decision though.'

When we got in, who did we find but Blair. 'Hey- how did it go?' 'Well thanks- we made a lot of progress in the first session. It's gonna take a while though.' 'Yeah- I understand. Why's Kris dressing like you Phil?' 'He's officially my stunt double- Kris Travison.' 'Has Maddy got one?'

'That's what we wanted to talk to you about- we want to take Mortis ou of Serotonin as Maddy's stunt double, and replace her with Annabel Young- one of the girls recruited in Australia. What do you think?' 'We need someone who can replace Maverick s well.' ' Paige Matthews.' 'Australia recruit?' 'Yeah.' 'Good idea. The meeting's about to start, so I'll announce it there. Could you get Rob or Jack to fly them over?' 'Yeah- sure. I'll get Jaime to go and get them- she recruited them in the first place.'

Blair then went to get ready for the Lupine Warriors meeting. A couple of minutes later, she came out, just as everyone else flooded in. 'Hi everyone- thank you for attending. We have several pieces of news today, so please bear with me. Firstly, I can confirm with her permission that Maddy Robinson-Cummings is seeing a psychologist at the moment for what is believed to be Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, so I would like to request that you all support her and Phil through this tricky time.'

'Secondly, I know there has been rumours recently about Claude Duane's status in the club. As of this moment, there is no truth in the rumours that Claude is no longer in the club. He is currently on compassionate leave in Denmark after the death of his mother. If there is an update then we will let you know.'

'Another piece of news- Maverick and Mortis are no longer going to be in Serotonin. Maverick has been promoted, and Mortis has been moved to a new role. They will be replaced, and their replacements will be arriving tomorrow. So Maverick and Mortis, if you could stay behind after this meeting please.'

'I have nothing more to say in the meeting, so you are dismissed one and all, other than Mortis and Maverick.' Everyone then moved away apart from the two Sertonin alumini. 'Mortis first- you are going to receive a new role.' 'Anything for the Renegades.' 'You will become Maddy's official stunt double.' 'I understand.'

'Why did you call me here mistress?' 'Maverick, you will revert to your old name- Brooke. You have been promoted from Serotonin to the Lupine Warriors. You will be under a light trance from now on, and have some of your mind back. You will be the leader of Serotonin.' 'I understand mistress- thank you for your leadership.'

'Not a problem. Your replacements in Serotonin will be arriving shortly. I must as you both to give up your Serotonin jackets now that you are no longer there- your Lupine Warriors uniforms will be arriving shortly. This is your first promotion, and may it not be the last. Also, we're defending our titles under the freebird rule as the Frozen Diamonds- is that ok with you?' 'Yeah- absolutely.' 'Good. We'll get you to the re-animation chamber, and once we've done that, we're going to see Akiza.'

The re-animation didn't take very long (slick machinery), so we could go down to the hospital (me, Maddy, Blair and Kris). When we got there, we decided to find out where Akiza was. 'Excuse me, where is Dr. Izinski?' 'Mrs. Azinski is in her office.' 'Thanks very much.' We then went into her office.

When we got in there, Akiza seemed unsurprised to see us. 'Akiza, why's Rio been transferred to a mental hospital?' 'I only found out 10 minutes ago when I checked my emails.' 'We're not happy about it.' 'You're not happy? If word of this gets out, I could lose my jon. Having patients transferred wrongly to a mental hospital without my consent is sickening. I've called an emergency meeting with other senior staff to try and get to the bottom of it.'

'Did the email mention that she's been chained up in a secure padded cell?' 'No- this is all news to me. How did you find out?' 'They didn't take her phone off of her.' 'Something's fishy here- one of the first things you have to do when going into a mental hospital is have a full strip-search and remove any personal belongings.'

'You're right- it doesn't make sense.' 'Let me have a closer look at this. Why am I not surprised?' 'At what?' 'The certificate for her transfer is apparently signed by me. Closer inspection reveals that it's Birchall's handwriting.' 'How do you know it's his?' 'He has a strange handwriting style because he's lost half a finger on his right hand- that's the hand he writes with. So his handwriting and pen grip are very distinctive.'

'What do we do then?' 'I'll get her transferred back here. I didn't investigate her not being in the ward earlier because I was told that she was having another CT scan, which is something she was actually booked in for.' 'How was Rio while we were gone anyway?' 'She's going from strength to strength- she's able to write her own name at last. Her fine motor skills are still very poor though.'

'I've just received a reply for her request to be transferred back here- it's been rejected. There's one last option.' 'Go on.' 'You break her out, and then I discharge her from here- she's still officially on our books here as a patient.' 'Thanks Akiza- we'll break her out. We know where we're going, so that's all good. Sorry about this Akiza.' 'No worries- my job was never gonna be easy now, was it?' 'I suppose you're right. We appreciate the work you've done with Rio.' 'No worries- once she's out, we'll work out what the problems are and how we'll overcome them.'

'Will Rio be able to return home for Christmas?' 'Yeah- barring any more problems, she'll be able to return a few days before Christmas.' 'Great- thank you so much.' 'No worries. I'm just mulling over a job offer.' 'Where is it?' 'Washington D.C. One of the biggest hospitals in the whole of America want me as a nurse there with a view to me becoming clinical lead in a few years' time.'

'Whatever's best for you.' 'Thanks. Any leads on the H.R.C stuff?' 'Yeah- she's female, and she's going to "reveal herself" at the Feast of Fools event in Newcastle.' 'Where's the next event?' 'Swansea. You gonna be there?' 'Maybe- we'll see. I've heard about the bogus suspension Maddy.'

'No worries- I've had my first session with a psychologist today.' 'Oh yeah- may I ask who?' 'Dr. Steve Peters.' 'Big name- good choice. If you need help paying, I could get you a discount by telling him that I recommended him to you.' 'Thanks- that would be a massive help. Anyway, we'd better go.' 'Ok, see you.' 'Bye.'

We were going to try and break Rio out, but the mental health hospital was shut. So we decided to leave it till the morning. When we went there in the morning, they were surprisingly welcoming. When we got in there, we could see how bored she was. 'Hey Rio.' 'Why did Akiza put me in here- I thought she was on our side.'

'Akiza had no involvement in it- it was done behind her back. Birchall's involved in it.' 'So can you get me out?' 'No- you're gonna get yourself out.' 'How?' 'We'll make a hole in the wall and then cover it up. About half an hour after we leave, you uncover the hole and climb out- we'll be waiting for you.'

'Going back to the hospital?' 'Yeah- for Akiza's job's sake. And she wants to do one last head scan.' 'Will you be with me master?' 'Yeah- the whole time.' 'Thanks. So this is just a quick visit?' 'Yeah- just to brief you on the plan.' 'Thanks. What if I get caught?' 'Do your Barian Powers work?' 'Yeah- not very well though.'

'Would they be able to get you outside?' 'Yeah.' 'That's the backup plan then- teleport using your Barian powers, and we'll meet in the car park.' 'Understood. Thank you.' 'No worries- we've not too long been back from Havant.' 'Where's that, and why were you there?' 'It's near Portsmouth, and we were there because Maddy's had a session with a pyschologist.'

'That's good... I think. Anyway- let's get on with the plan.' The plan then commenced, with us pretending to argue with her. We then left, in an apparent huff. Just afterwards, something nervy happened, when some guards checked the room where she was. Luckily, they didn't notice the hole in the wall.

About 20 minutes after that, Rio crawled out of the hole, and Kris met her at the other end to pull her out. 'Thanks Kris.' 'No worries- let's go.' 'Good idea.' Kris then sprinted back to the car while carrying Rio, before we left. The guards must have got a shock the next time they checked her room.

We then motored to the hospital. When we got there, Akiza looked relieved. 'Thanks- let's get her back in. I'll use the cover story that she'd been having a day out, but she returned home early because she was tired. You sure you're ok coming back Rio?' 'Yeah- I'll be fine thanks. There's light at the end of the tunnel.' 'Absolutely.'

'Just to check Phil- once I've recovered sufficiently, would I be able to start as a tutor in the Arena?' 'Sure- we'll find someone for you to buddy up with on that. I promise you Rio- there will be a role for you in the club still.' 'Oh yeah- got something for you.' Kris then handed Rio a book.

'What's this?' 'It's a book that we've been collecting messages from everyone in the club for to give to you- any messages of goodwill then wanted to send to you they wrote in this book. We're all a family at heart, you know that.' 'I know- thanks. This is really sweet- even if I can't make out some of the stuff.'

'I'll read some if you want.' 'Thanks.' 'No worries. Let's see.' I then read out some of the messages. The first ones were from when she was still unconscious in hospital. 'Please pull through Rio- we all love you and we don't know what we'd do without your bubbly personality around the base- from Maddy.'

'Rio, we're trying to stay strong for you because we know that you need all our support to win this fight- from Jodi.' 'Rio, you're super strong and I just know that you'll survive- you're a survivor. From Jade.' 'To Rio- all of us in Serotonin are waiting on news of you- you are important to us all, and what happened should never have taken one life, never mind two. From Maverick and the rest of Serotonin.'

'Wow- these are all so sweet. Has everyone put a message in there?' 'No, because Kelly and Taylor have barely been back and Claude's still in Denmark- his Mum's died.' 'That's sad.' 'He's coming back next week I think. Kelly and Taylor are as well.' 'Brilliant.' 'Right- we'll go now then.' 'Can I have a quick word with you Phil?' 'Sure Akiza.'

We then went to a little way away. 'What is it?' 'Just wondering if it's ok with you if Rio's discharged soon.' 'How soon?' 'Tommorow?' 'Yeah- sure. Got to get the welcome home banner ready.' 'She'll be using a wheelchair, just because her bones are very brittle currently.' 'Fair enough. She'll be at the base for a couple of weeks.'

I then went to tell Blair and Maddy the good news after we set off again. 'Just to let you know- Rio's returning to the base tomorrow.' 'For a day or just a few hours?' 'Put it this way- she's not going to be going back into hospital.' 'That's brilliant.' Blair was crying at the news. 'I love you Phil.' 'I love you too Blair. We've gotta get the banner up though. She's going to be in a wheelchair- her bones are very weak.' 'I understand.'

When we got back, Maddy made the announcement. 'Everyone, I want you to listen to me now- Rio is returning home tomorrow. We need to get everything set up before 11:20am. Don't get too in her face though, and be gentle with her- she's fragile still.' Everyone cheered the news.

Just then, there was a knock on the base door. It was Jaime, with the two new Serotonin members. 'This way thanks. How did you get here this quickly?' 'Rob flew very quickly- there was only 3 other people to fly, so we got back quickly. Is the machine set up?' 'Yeah- Jodi set it up. Time for these two to become Serotonin members.'

I then put Paige and Annabel in the Primalizer machine. As soon as I switched it on, I could see the darkness going straight to their brains and infecting them with my power. Within 5 minutes, they had been stripped of all emotion and free will. So I took them out, and Brooke came over.

'Girls, you are now members of Serotonin. Paige, listen to my voice- let it smash through the darkness. Your Serotonin name is Morituri, and it is your only identity. Your old life is now over- Serotonin is your future.' 'Yes master- I am Morituri.' Meanwhile, Brooke dealt with Annabel.

'Annabel, listen to my voice- let it go straight to your brain. Your Serotonin name is Rellik, and it is your only identity. As of this moment your old life is over, and Serotonin is your past, present, and future.' 'Yes mistress- I am Rellik of Serotonin.' 'Good girls- now you will both serve us forever.'

I then looked at the time. 'Morituri, Rellik, go.' 'Yes master.' They then left. 'Belle.' 'What is it?' 'It's time for that experiment.' 'Oh right- coming.' 'Everyone, if you have anything you'll be needing in the near future from the main hall, get it now, because we'll be occupying it for about half an hour, and nobody will be allowed in while we're busy.'

Blair then came down to grab her phone. 'You need any help Phil?' 'No thanks- Jodi's giving me some assistance. Why don't you get on with making that banner for Rio?' 'Good idea. Have we got any paints?' 'Yeah- in the store room. Be quick though, and don't get them all over the place.' 'Thanks.'

Just as Blair was running upstairs with her paints and her phone, Belle came down, and Jodi came in. 'Ok, so what do I need to do?' 'Tie your hair back first, just so it's not in our way.' 'Pony?' 'Yeah, sure. Just so it's neat enough to not be in our way.' 'Ok, thanks.' While she was doing that, Jodi pulled me to one side.

'How are we going to get it into her brain?' 'Plasma drill. It'll open her head up and then, when we're done with it, close it up again with it's new, second function.' 'I'll get that anaesthetic then. You know- the one I've been working on?' 'Oh yeah- you finished the formula then?' 'Yeah- eventually. I've found one that actually works. Is the A.I. system ready?' 'Yeah- it's looking good. I'm just hoping it actually works.' 'So am I- we've invested a lot of money in this.'

When we came back, Belle had her hair up, and had taken her coat off. 'Right- what do I need to do?' 'Just stay still while Jodi injects you with this anaesthetic- you'll fall into a deep sleep with it.' 'What's the benefits and drawbacks?' 'If it works, you will get credit for testing out the A.I. system which cost several hundered pounds to create. If it goes badly, there's a 70% chance that you'll go blind.'

'I accept- let's do this. I'll even sign a waiver if you want- one that says I cannot take any form of legal action against you if anything goes wrong.' 'You're ok thanks- we trust you. Now we're going to inject you with an anaesthetic Belle. Don't worry though- you won't feel a thing- apart from a stabbing pain when you're injected.' 'Ok, do it.' Jodi then went round to the side of Belle's neck, and jabbed her with the needle. 'Ouch.' She then fell asleep.

'You could have been a little more gentle.' 'Sorry- bit heavy handed, I know.' Just then, Akiza got in (lunch break). 'Hello, anyone here?' 'Yeah- me and Jodi are doing something in here at the moment. Could you help us?' 'Will it take less than half an hour?' 'Yeah.' 'Sure then- I've got an hour for my lunch break, so I'll have half an hour for my lunch still.'

'Thanks Akiza. We're trying to install this machinery into Belle.' 'I get you- you want my help.' 'Yeah- your knowledge of the human anatomy.' 'I'll do it if you stop using long words.' 'Ok, I'll stop. We're trying to install it into her.' 'I get you.' I then opened Belle's head up using a plasma drill.

'Right- lower the wire down gently into her head.' 'Understood- lowering it down.' 'Then pull it across, and half an inch to your left.' 'Pulling it to my left now. What next?' 'Next, loop the wire around, and bring it back out at the other side of the eye, trying to make sure there is an even gap on each side.'

'Right- that's done.' 'Now connect it to the central cortex of the brain.' 'Connecting now. Connected.' 'Right- I'll switch it on, and you tell me if the light comes on.' I then flicked the switch. 'Light on.' 'Thanks- we just need to close the wire off now with a pair of tweezers.' Akiza then grabbed a pair of tweezers, and passed them over to Jodi, who nipped the end of the wire. 'Right- let's get outta here.'

Jodi then got out, and I used the plasma drill to close Belle's head up. We then waited for her to wake up, which she did about 15-20 minutes later. 'Whoa- why was I asleep? Is it nightime already?' 'No- you volunteered to take part in an experiment- you were asleep because you were under an anaesthetic.'

'Oh yeah- I remember now. Has it been a success?' 'We think so- we just need you to try it out though. We're switching it on now.' 'Wow- it's amazing. It actually feels like it's part of me.' 'Technically speaking, it is. It's wired to your brain and eyes.' 'Is there any kind of powers I can get from it?' 'Yeah- you can shoot lasers from your eyes with it.'

'I was being serious.' 'Funny innit.' 'What is?' 'I was being serious as well.' 'Phil, I thought I told you not to do anything silly with it.' 'It's so Serotonin have another way of defending themselves- they're our armed forces the way I see it.' 'Fair enough.' 'How do I fire lasers with this?' 'When enabled (like now), you'll have a H.U.D screen in front of you with some buttons. Aim the circle of the screen at where you want to shoot, and press the button nearest the H.U.D screen. Just don't try it out in here.' 'I won't do, thanks. Anything else you need?' 'No- I'll just let your hair down for you.' 'Ok.'

Just as I was doing that, Brooke and Blair came back in. 'If you're doing her hair, you can do ours as well.' 'Ok- Brooke first. How do you want it?' 'You decide for both of us.' 'Yeah- good idea Blair.' I then let Brooke's hair down. 'So Brooke, you enjoying having a mind?' 'Yeah thanks. When's my first booster due?' '3 weeks today- you'll need one ever 3 weeks. Blair, yours is due next week.' 'Thanks.'

Once I'd tied Brooke's hair back in a ponyplait, and brushed Blair's out for her, I went to check on Maddy, who was busy in the room Rio was going to be in. 'You ok Mads?' 'Yeah- trying to keep myself busy.' 'I've got something to admit to you Maddy- I've been ready to return to the Renegades for a couple of weeks.'

'Why didn't you tell me?' 'I wanted to see how much you'd progress as leader.' 'I'l do you a deal Dad.' 'Go on.' 'We'll be joint-leaders, with Jodi as our assistant. Yours will be an unoffical role.' 'Yeah- sure. Sorry Maddy.' 'No worries Dad- I understand why you didn't say anything. Don't forget- Mortis and Brooke need re-registering now that they're no longer in Serotonin.'

'Oh yeah- thanks Maddy.' 'I'm just painting the room for Rio- purple's her favourite colour. I'm trying to make sure that she's as comfortable as possible.' 'Thanks Mads.' 'What are you cooking tomorrow?' 'Stew and dumplings for everyone. I need to go out yet to get the suet and the flour.'

'Can I help you make them? It's just that I've never made dumplings before.' 'Sure- I'll show you how to do them, and then you can try.' 'Thanks Dad. How's the prep going for Rio's return?' 'Good thanks- we'll be doing most of the prep tomorrow morning. I'll be leaving the house early to pick her up.'

'Isn't the tournament in Wales tomorrow?' 'No- Wednesday. 3 weeks till Christmas now, and I've bought nothing for it yet.' 'I've not either- I've been rather pre-occupied, you might say.' 'Yeah- I get you.' 'I'm going to the Arena before I sort out the memberships- I need to take on a few drones.' I then left for the Arena, leaving Maddy looking puzzled.

Point of View- Maddy

I used my initiative, and decided to rebuild my deck, even though I was technically suspended from the WDC still. And soon enough, Jodi came up to me. 'Hey Mads- what you doin?' 'Rebuilding my deck.' 'Interesting. You putting Dark Mist and Dark Storm in?' 'Yeah. If you're looking for Dad, he's gone to the Arena to practice.'

'I hope you don't take offence to this Maddy, but after the first few weeks of the season, Phil's not looked like the best duellist in the world.' 'I know- he's lost his cutting edge somehow. He's showed flashes of his best, but at other times, he's not looked at the races at all.'

'I know- I don't understand why though.' 'I don't either. Could it be the pressure of being World Champ?' 'It's not that- Blair would have worked it out by now if it was.' 'True. What is it then?' 'I honestly don't know. Maybe he's just not got the hunger anymore. I hate to say it, but maybe he doesn't want to continue.'

We decided to observe him in the arena from a distance. He was up against a Level 7 drone, and losing... badly.

Arena Duel: Phil Robinson-Cummings LP:1900 vs. Droid (Level 7) LP:4000

Phil cards: Ancient Gear Box (Atk:1400), Ancient Gear Tank, Ancient Gear Castle, 1 face-down. Droid cards: Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon (Atk:2800), 1 face-down monster, 3 face-downs

Phil- 'I draw. I summon Chronomaly Gordian Knot (Atk:300). Next, I activate the ability of Chronomaly Gordian Knot, which lets me summon a Chronomaly monster from my hand. I summon out Chronomaly Tula Guardian (Atk:1800). The second half of Gordian Knot's ability makes it's Level the same as the summoned monster (Level:3-5).'

'I now overlay my two Level 5 monsters, to build the overlay network. I summon out Number 61- Volcasaurus (Atk:2500).' "I activate Overlay Freeze. This removes all of the overlay units of Volcasaurus until the end of your next turn."

'Fine- Plan B then. I activate Spell Gear. This lets me destroy 3 Ancient Gear cards on my field- Ancient Gear Castle, Ancient Gear Box, and Ancient Gear Tank. And when Tank's destroyed, you lose 600 Life points.' Spell Gear destroyed the 3 cards, and then Tank exploded, dealing damage (Droid LP:4000-3400).

'Spell Gear's plus side now activates. It allows me to summon Ancient Gear Golem from my hand, and a Gear Golem from anywhere in my deck. My two Golems, welcome to this world (Atk:3000)x2. Gear Golem 1, destroy Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon with _Mechanised Melee.'_

Gear Golem clobbered Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon, destroying it, and dealing damage (Droid LP:3400-3200). 'While we're at it, Gear Golem 2 will destroy your face-down monster. And when it battles a monster in Defence mode whose Defence points are lower than Gear Golem's immense Attack strength, it deals damage equal to the difference. Go- _Mechanised Melee.' _

Gear Golem 2 thumped the face-down monster (Cyber Jar Def.:900). "Cyber Jar's flip effect activates, destroying every monster on the field. Go- _Spacial Suck." _Cyber Jar tried to suck everything into it, but it failed completely. 'Hate to disappoint you, but I activated the Counter Trap known as Blackout. This negates the effects of all the cards on your field. Don't forget about the damage now.'

Gear Golem's attack went through (Droid LP:3200-1300). 'Volcasaurus, finish this off.' Volcasaurus shot fire out of it's body at Number 61, ending the duel (Droid LP:1300-0000). After the duel, Dad shuffled his deck, before going to re-program the drone, raising the difficulty Level to 8.

'Maddy, Jodi, you can come in if you want- it beats spying on me.' 'What are you doing Dad?' 'I fancied some duelling action.' 'Phil, rather than duelling drones, duel me and Maddy- 2-1 gauntlet.' 'Ok- sure.' Me and Jodi then discussed who was going first. 'If you want to go first Mads, I have no problem with it.' 'Ok, thanks.' I then grabbed my duel disk from the lift, and Brooke came in to referee the duel.

Point of View- Brooke

2-1 Gauntlet Part 1: Phil Robinson-Cummings LP:4000 vs. Maddy Robinson-Cummings LP:4000

Turn 1- Phil- 'Seeing as I'm at a disadvantage, I'll start. I draw. I summon out Chronomaly Gordian Knot (Atk:300). Next, I activate it's ability, letting me summon out Chronomaly Sol Monolith (Atk:600). I now activate the ability of Gordian Knot, making it Level 6 (Level:3-6).'

'Here comes Number 6.' 'Not quite- I activate Level Tuning. This reduces the Levels of all monsters on my field by one (Level:6-5)x2. 'I now overlay my two Level 5 monsters, to build the overlay network. I summon out the shooting city- Number 33- Chronomaly Machu Mech (Atk:2400). I'll end my turn with a couple of face-downs.'

Maddy- 'Nice city Dad. I draw. I activate the ability of Big One Warrior. By discarding a Level 1 monster from my hand, I can summon it out (Atk:100). Next, I summon out Cat's Ear Tribe (Atk:200). I now activate Double Summon, bringing out Darklon (Atk:100). I now activate the ability of Darklon, increasing the Levels of all my monsters by one and making their Attributes Dark (Level:1-2)x3.'

'I now overlay my three Level 2 monsters.' Maddy then howled as she took a monster from her Extra deck. I was shocked at the aggression she was showing against her own Dad. 'I summon out your doom- Number 96- Dark Mist (Atk:100). Next, I activate Rank-up Magic Icaron's Force, ranking Number 96 up. I rebuild the overlay network with Rank 2 Dark Mist. Go- Chaos Xyz Evolution! Confront your darkness and your doom as I summon out Chaos Number 96- Dark Storm (Atk:1000).'

'With the secondary effect of Icaron's Force, I now draw a card. Number C96, attack Number 33 with _Dark Reign! _By the way, I'll use the ability of Dark Storm. During the Battle Phase, I can detach one Chaos overlay unit to make the Attack of Machu Mech 0, and add it's Attack points to those of Number C96.'

Dark Storm coated Machu Mech in a black film-type substance, and it started crackling with red electricity (Number 33 Atk:2400-0000, Number C96 Atk:1000-3400). Dark Storm then obliterated Number 33, dealing massive damage, putting Phil's Life points in the red on the big screen (Phil LP:4000-600).

'Like that? I'll end my turn (Atk:3400-1000).'

Phil- 'I draw. I activate my face-down- Xyz Reborn. This revives Number 33 (Atk:2400). Next, I activate Rank-up Magic Icaron's Force, ranking up Number 33. Go- Rank-up Xyz Evolution! You called it earlier, and now it's here- I summon out Number 6- Chronomaly Atlandis (Atk:2600).'

'Why did you do it that way?' 'I now activate Rank-up Magic Renegades Unite! With this, I summon out Number 9- Dyson Sphere (Atk:2800). Next, I'll deal you with 1800 points of damage.' Renegades Unite fired a yellow burst of light at Maddy, and Dyson Sphere fired lasers down at her (Maddy LP:4000-2200).'

'Please don't say you have Barian's Force as well.' 'Not in my hand, no- I have one card left in my hand. I activate Card of Ascencion. This lets me take a Rank-up Magic Card from my deck, and add it to my hand. I now activate Rank-up Magic Barian's Force. This ranks up Number 9 into a Chaos Xyz monster. Go- Chaos Xyz Evolution! I summon out Chaos Number 9- blaze into our galaxy, Chaos Dyson Sphere (Atk:3600).'

'I now activate the secondary effect of Barian's Force, which robs Number C96 of all of it's Chaos overlay units. Go- _Chaos Drain!' _Number C9 then stole all 3 of Number C96's overlay units. 'I now activate the ability of Chaos Dyson Sphere. Once per turn, I can deal you with 300 points of damage for every overlay unit Number C9 has. Go- _Blazing Finale!' _

Chaos Dyson Sphere shot flaming missiles at Maddy, knocking her Life points into the red (Maddy LP:2200-1000). 'I now activate it's other ability. By detaching two overlay units, it can deal you with 1600 points of damage. Go- _Ballistic Bomber!' _Number C9 turned two of it's Chaos overlay units into flaming missiles, defeating Maddy (Maddy LP:1000-0000).

After Maddy's Life points hit zero, she just slapped hands with Jodi, who took her sunglasses off, and activated her duel disk, while Phil simply swept his hair to one side, before taking a deep breath. 'You ready Phil?' 'En Garde Jodi- you're about to be taken back to school by the World Champion of the world.'

2-1 Gauntlet Round 2: Phil Robinson-Cummings LP:600 vs. Jodi Allen LP:4000

Turn 1- Jodi- 'I draw. I activate Rank-up Magic Renegades Unite! This summons out Number 69- Heraldry Crest (Atk:2600). I now deal you with 800 points of damage.' 'I only have 600 points left. It's over.' Renegades Unite fired a beam of darkness at Phil, which caused a small explosion.

When the smoke cleared, Phil was still standing, and when I looked up at the big screen, his Life points were in the yellow (Phil LP:600-1400). 'Rainbow Life.' Yep- I originally set it to wait for Maddy's Lion Heart, but that's not going to happen now, so I've found another use for it.'

'No worries though- all monsters on the field have their abilities negated when Number 69 arrives on the scene. I'll activate the Equip spell Xyz Unit now. This gives Number 69 800 more Attack points (Atk:2600-3400). Number 69, destroy Number 6 with _Dark Matter Demolition.'_

Number 69 ripped through Number 6 with a bullet of dark matter, destroying it (Phil LP:1400-600). 'I end my turn with a face-down.'

Phil- 'My turn. I'll end my turn with a face-down.' 'Awfully cautious.' 'Better to be cautious than rash Jodi.'

Jodi- 'My turn. I'll end my turn with a face-down of my own.'

'Well this has reached a stalemate.' Akiza then came in. 'It's not a stalemate Maddy- it's a case of who blinks first.' 'Remind me- shouldn't you be in work?' 'I've taken slightly longer for my lunch break. It's one of the perks of being a Clinical Lead. Also, Rio's probably asleep- she's not genrally been sleeping at night- she's preferred to sleep after lunch instead.'

'How is she?' 'She's in two minds with coming home- she's looking forward to it, but she's nervous after last time and nervous of what everyone will think of how skinny and pale she looks. And she's made friends in hospital as well. Who's picking her up?' 'Dad's doing it. We're organising a welcome home party for her, but we've got a lot to do.'

'What's the story here anyway?' 'Dad was doing some training in here, so me and Jodi challenged him to a 2-1 duel. He's already beaten me.' 'Who challenged him?' 'Jodi- it was her idea. I just went along with it because I liked the idea. I think she's trying to bring out the World champ in him.'

'That's not the part of him he's missing. He's missing a reason- a purpose to duel. I don't know if you've noticed this, but me and Rio have- we've been talking about it today.' 'What?' 'He's been duelling a lot better in tag-team competition than singles competition. He doesn't seem to have a purpose in singles competition- he needs to rediscover his fire.' 'If anyone can do that, then it's Jodi- if she can't bring his best out, we may as well just give up on it.' 'What do you mean by that?' 'Dunno- Jodi just seems to have something about her- she'll bring something out of him. Let's just hope it's enough.'

Phil- 'Change of tac now. It's my turn, I draw. I activate Pot of Greed, letting me draw 2 cards. I now activate the field spell Geartown. This lets me summon Ancient Gear monsters with one less sacrifice. I end my turn.'

Jodi- 'I draw. I summon out Overlay Booster through it's ability, because I control a monster with 2000+ Attack points (Def.:2000). I now summon out Overlay Sentinal (Def.:0000). I end my turn.'

Phil- 'My turn. I use the effect of Geartown to summon out Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Chimera (Atk:2600). Next, I'll switch Chaos Dyson Sphere to Defence mode (Def.:3200). I end my turn.'

Jodi- 'I draw again. I activate Level Tuning, reducing the Levels of both of my monsters to 4. I now overlay my two Level 4 monsters to build the overlay network, and summon out Number 18- Heraldic Progeniter- Plain Coat (Atk:2200). Number 69, destroy Chaos Dyson Sphere with _Dark Matter Demolition.__'_

Number 69 created another bullet of dark matter which moved in, completely swallowing up Number C9, destroying it. 'I end my turn with a face-down.'

Phil- 'I draw. It's time for the big comeback- I activate Card of Sanctity. This lets both of us draw until our hands contain 6 cards. I now activate Ancient Gear Drill. This lets me discard one card to set any Spell card I like directly from my deck, but I have to reveal it first. I'm setting Ancient Gear Fist.'

'Next, I'll activate the equip spell Ancient Gear Tank, granting my Gadjiltron Chimera 600 more Attack points (Atk:2600-3200). But it ain't staying around.' 'Why?' 'I activate Spell Gear!' 'Oh no- that's one of the most powerful cards in the game.' 'Too right. I destroy 3 Ancient Gear cards- Gadjiltron Chimera, Tank, and the face-down Fist, to summon out Ancient Gear Golem from my hand, and Ancient Gear Golem from my deck (Atk:3000-3300)x2.'

'And because Tank was destroyed, I'll lose 600 of my Life points.' Tank then re-appeared, before exploding (Jodi LP:4000-3400). 'I now activate Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying one Spell or Trap on the field. I'll destroy Geartown.' Mystical Space Typhoon ripped through Geartown, laying waste to it.

'I now activate Geartown's additional effect. When it's destroyed, I can summon out this fella from my hand- Ancient Gear Golem (Atk:3000), (Gear Golem Atk:3300-3000)x2. 'I now activate Cybernetic Fusion Support, fusing together my 3 Golems to create the Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem (Atk:4400).'

'My Ultimate Gear Golem can attack on the turn it's summoned. Destroy Number 69 with _Perfect Mechanised Melee.__' _Ultimate Gear Golem slammed Number 69 to the ground, destroying it (Jodi LP:3400-2400). 'I end my turn.'

Jodi- 'I draw. I activate Rank Reverse Revival. This lets me banish from my graveyard an Xyz monster which was destroyed last turn. Then, I can summon an Xyz monster from my Extra deck, and any overlay units the banished Xyz monster had when it left the field are given to the new monster. I banish Number 69- Heraldry Crest, to summon out Number 8- Heraldic King Genome-Heritage (Atk:2400).'

'I'm now going to activate the ability of Genome-Heritage. Once per turn, it can steal your monster's Attack points, Identity, and abilities for the rest of the turn.' Number 8 then drained all the colour from Phil's Golem, before morphing into a masked copy of it (Number 8 Atk:2400-4400, UAGG Atk:4400-0000).'

'Number 8, finish this off!' Number 8 then came crashing into Ultimate Anicent Gear Golem, destroying it (Phil LP:600-1). 'You were so wrapped up in your win that you didn't notice that I'd activate Evil 1 before you declared an attack. Tough luck eh?' 'I end my turn (Atk:4400-2400).'

Phil- 'I draw. I activate Pot of Avarice. This lets me take 5 cards from my graveyard and shuffle them back into my deck. Then I draw 2 cards. I'll now activate one of them- Card of Sanctity.' 'Another one?' 'Yeah- this one lets both of us draw until our hands contain 6 cards.'

'Perfect. Firstly, because Ancient Gear Box was added to my hand apart from during my draw phase, I can summon it (Atk:500). Next, I tribute it to summon out Dark Simorgh (Atk:2700). Jodi, it's time to go back to school- I activate Wind Deity Ritual! This lets me send to my Graveyard the Armed Dragons LV 5 and LV10 in my hand, and the Dark Simorgh on my field, to summon out Talim- the Wind Deity (Atk:3750).'

'Talim, destroy Number 8. Take 'em out with _Wind Dance Kick!' _Talim leapt into the air, before coming crunching down with a big kick. 'I activate Draining Sheild, negating the Attack, and letting me gain Life points equal to the Attack points of your monster (Jodi LP:2400-6150).'

'Too bad you're going down Jodi- I activate Fiery Fervor! This doubles the Attack points of Talim, letting her have another pop at you (Atk:3750-7500). I also activate Double Tension. Because my monster's launching a second attack in this Battle phase, Double Tension doubles it's Attack points (Atk:7500-15000).'

'Talim, take her out with a _Wind Dance Double Tension Kick!' _Talim came crunching in with a kick, destroying Number 8 (Jodi LP:6150-0000). After the duel, Phil walked over to Jodi, and hi-fived her. 'Cheers for that Jodi. Cheers to you as well Maddy.' 'You're welcome Dad. Why did you come down to the Arena in the first place?' 'I wanted to rediscover my fire. I think I've done that now.'

'Do you want me to nip down to the shops for you Phil? I'll bring the stuff for the Stew back on my way home from work.' 'Thanks Akiza- you're wonderful, you know that?' 'Geez- thanks.' 'Shouldn't you be looking after Ms. Kastle?' 'Rio's probably asleep- she's become acustomed to sleeping after lunch.'

'That reminds me- we've got a lot to do still to welcome her back.' 'I'm really nervous about what she'll think.' 'She'll be embarrased that we've gone to all this trouble.' 'I suppose you're right. I just want everything to be perfect for her.' 'You're sounding like Blair now Maddy.' 'Oh hell. I'm just kidding- she's been a massive help to us.'

'I would invite you to come with me to pick her up, but I'd like some time to try and relax her, just the two of us.' 'Fair enough- we'll have to get the last minute stuff done anyway. What's Mortis' new name gonna be?' 'I've thought of one.' 'Dad, she is not being called Cheeseburger.' 'I...' 'Or Dairy Milk for that matter. Nothing to do with food, even remotely.' 'So I can't have Burnt Alaska?' 'No.'

'I've had an idea that is not food related.' 'Go on.' 'Blaize Mortis.' 'That's actually good.' 'If you don't mind me making a suggestion?' 'Go on Brooke.' 'Mildred Blaze Mortis?' 'I like your thinking.' 'I do as well. I'll go and let her know.' 'Thanks Maddy.' 'Phil, can I ask a question?'

'Go on Brooke.' 'Will I need to sleep now that I've graduated from Serotonin.' 'No- we can engineer the insomnia out of you, but you'll have to wait a couple of weeks.' 'It's ok thanks- I wanted to request that you didn't engineer it out of me.' 'Ok- fine by me.' 'Do you know where there's any hair straightners?' 'Ask Blair- she's got a pair.' 'But you don't live here.' 'She lent them out to Astrid a couple of days ago. Oh yeah- we need to do your I.D.' 'Of course, sorry.'

Me and her then went into the I.D. office to sort things out. 'Right- full name please.' 'Brooke Elen Angharad Powell.' 'You've got a very strong Welsh accent.' 'I'm actually the first person in my family to be born in Britain for 5 generations- my Mum's from Norway, and my Dad's from Costa Rica in Central America.'

'Interesting. Nationality?' 'Tri-nationality- I've got a passport for Costa Rica, even though I've never been there. I've also got one for Norway even though I've never been there either.' 'Didn't know you could have 3 passports.' 'I didn't. Is it Welsh or British I go down as?' 'Welsh. We are not the government, we do recognise Wales as a country.'

'Next of Kin?' 'None- I've lost contact with all of my family. They moved away from Wales while I was selling stuff up here in Stonybridge. I've not been able to locate any of them.' 'Sorry to hear that.' 'It's ok- lets me concentrate on club duty.' 'You have got a completely faultless record here- you've done everything we've required. And you're well on course to pass in the Arena.'

'Is there automatic promotion to the Advanced Course from mine?' 'Which one are you on?' 'Intermediate.' 'No, but you'll be able to get a 20% discount because you've completed the Intermediate course in the top 2, and a 25% discount because you're a registered member of the club.'

'How much is it then?' 'With the discounts, £302.50.' 'Put me down- I'll get the money tomorrow.' 'Ok, I'll put your name down Brooke. Full payments are due by the 4th week of the course.' 'Thanks.' 'No worries. Anyway, medical record?' 'I've got something called Asperger's Syndrome.'

'Thanks- you're the 3rd member of the club with that.' 'Who are the other two?' 'Myself and Rio.' 'Wow- what is it exactly?' 'I can't remember- google it. Criminal record?' 'None- I'm a law-abiding citizen.' 'Fair enough. Forgot date of birth.' '11/12/98.' 'Thanks very much. I think that's it, and you don't need your picture taking.'

'Fair enough- thanks. Let me work on your deck- it's good, but it could be better in my opinion.' 'How do you mean?' 'It's solid enough, but it lacks a bit of urgency. I'll work on it after the final exam tomorrow.' 'What's the reward if any for winning?' 'Pride, and a certificate. And a signed copy of the M18 Connection DVD as soon as possible after release.'

'When's it released?' 'December 27th.' 'Wasn't that the date that Hannah's Mum died?' 'Yeah. I was gonna comfort Hannah, but I can't now, and it's all my own fault.' 'It's not your fault- we saw what happened. I even filmed it.' 'That could be useful later thanks. It was my fault though- I watched her fly out of the window.'

'I know you're struggling, but I hope that one day you'll be able to look yourself in the mirror and realise that Hannah didn't commit suicide to get away from you- she did it to stay with you.' 'You've lost me.' 'She knew that if the worst were to happen, her spirit would still be with you. She sacrificed her body to stay with you- she didn't want to risk your spirit not being there if the worst were to happen to you.'

Just then, we were interrupted by banging on the door. When I opened the door, Havok was stood there. 'Hi Havok, what's up?' 'H.R.C is coming- at the Feast of Fools, she will gain revenge on all those who have wronged her and punish everyone for their sins.' 'Another message.'

'Additional: if any of you refuse to believe my existence, you will feel the pain and misery for all eternity- to qualify for an explanation, you must win a tournament before I return Mr. Robinson. No trophy, no answer. When you win the trophy, you must place the trophy in front of the Eye of Icaron.'

Havok then returned to her normal state. 'It's evidently someone who knows the inner workings of the base.' 'Yeah- I reckon it's Velvet Sky- she's with that lot now.' 'Yeah- you could be right. Do you think there's any chance of it being Hannah herself- trying to send us a message.' 'I wish. Seriously Brooke- I used to believe these things. Not now though- now I don't know what to believe.'

'Believe in yourself if nothing else. We need you to step up now more than ever- Hannah's not around to have your back anymore, so you need to prove that you are the leader we thought you were. There's no point you being here if you're going to mope around- we could all do that.'

'Think about it Phil- is this what Hannah wants to see? She told you to live strong- how can you do that when you spend all your time moping around, telling everyone it should have been you instead. Eventually, someone will believe you and kill you- that would leave Maddy with no parents. Having one parent's better than none at all.'

'This may sound harsh, but maybe it's what you deserve- maybe it's what you need to hear. Hearing the truth can change people- you taught us that. Maybe it's just time for you to hear the truth back for once rather than telling everyone else what the truth is eh? Or what- are you too afraid to listen. Hannah always said "Phil should never look back at his past, because what he sees would destroy him". Now you've got another reason not to look back at the past with sadness- if you feel the need to, feel the joy that you felt when you got married, when you and Hannah signed that adoption certificate, when you moved into your own home.'

'Brooke, you're completely right- I'm fed-up of wasting time. I need to realise that no- Hannah's not coming back. But maybe she's never gone in the first place. Sure her body's not here, but I never wanted her for her body, I wanted her for her soul, and that's still inside of me- her soul never died. Thanks Brooke- you opened my eyes. It's about time I opened the eyes of other people.'

'That's more like it. By the way, the banner's ready.' 'Thanks- I'll have a look in a couple of minutes. What time's Rio coming?' 'I'll be bringing her here, and she's due to leave hospital in Manchester at 10:15am, so half 11ish probably.' 'Thanks- just want plenty of time to prepare. I'm not used to big stuff like this.'

I then had a look at the banner. 'That's really nice- I'm impressed.' 'Thanks- we worked hard on it.' 'How did you get it so long?' 'We made Serotonin stick printer paper together in such a way that it looks like one long banner.' 'That's what they're there for. I'm going in a couple of minutes- Jana's probably back by now.' 'Where was she anyway?' 'She's been back to Wales for a few days- Akiza thought going back home might do her some good. See you in the morning Brooke.' 'See you.'

Me, Blair, and Maddy then left the base. 'Why aren't Lydia and Freja with us?' 'They're making their own way home- they've stayed behind to help out.' 'Just between us three Dad, why is there so many girls in the club?' 'It's a case of who me or Hannah saw potential in. If I'm honest, we kinda strayed away from the core values of the club- we rarely talked about club business. Anyway, let's go home- I've got a very nasty pain in my mouth, so I'm getting an early night to try and get rid of it.'

The next morning, I was up early to drive to the hospital. While on the road, I got a call, so I linked my phone up, and answered it. 'Who is it, what do you want.' 'Hi Phil- just wanted to check you were coming.' 'Akiza, of course I'm coming... actually, how did you get my number?'

'I didn't- I've borrowed Rio's phone. She's just getting dressed now- it's gonna feel unusual for her.' 'Tell me about it- it's been weeks since she got meaningful fresh air. How is she?' 'Nervous but optimistic. She's a good kid- she just needs some TLC.' 'I'm guessing you don't mean the wrestling TLC.'

'No, but a chair could be helpful- she'll be doing very little exercise for the first couple of weeks.' 'I'll have her putting on weight in no time.' 'Don't cook anything too unhealthy for her.' 'I won't do- just good, hearty food. I'm just mulling over job offers- I've got 8 of them, and I've not even said that I want to leave here.'

'Most people don't get 1 job offer, never mind 8.' 'I know- most of them are basically where nobody else will take a job though. Anyway, see you later.' 'Bye.' I then phoned up the base. 'Hello, this is Allyx- who is it?' 'Hey Allyx- it's Phil.' 'Hi master, how can I serve you?' 'You're a good girl, you know that? I'm just checking that all the prep's going well.' 'Yeah- we're going to hang the banner up in a minute. Claude's turned up.' 'He said he'd be there- as I say, he's been in Denmark the past week or so.'

'He asked me to pass a message onto you.' 'It's ok Allyx- I'll do it myself.' 'Ok- passing you onto Claude.' 'Hiya Claude.' 'Morning Phil- just wanted to apologise for what I said about you at the tournament. I've been saying strange stuff since my Mum died- I didn't mean what you heard mate.'

'Claude, I'm big enough and ugly enough to take a bit of criticism. I take it you've been filled in on everything.' 'Yeah- you still on track?' 'Yeah- I might be a bit early yet, depends on whether Rio's ready when I get to the hospital. The motorway's very quiet at this time. Is Mads with you?'

'No- still in bed. Her and Blair are coming to the base via Primal Eolas at half 10.' 'Just wait a moment please. Freja, get off of the phone- I'll pass you over when I'm done. Sorry about that.' 'No worries mate. I'll see you later, ok?' 'You want me to pass you onto Freja?' 'For the sake of your ears, yeah please.' 'Ok.'

'Hi Freja.' 'Hey master baby, what's up?' 'I was just checking everything was on track for Rio's return.' 'Yeah- absolutely on track. Blair's arrived to help out just a minute or two ago.' 'Brilliant- I didn't think she'd be over yet.' 'Maddy brought her using Primal Eolas. She didn't stay herself though because she needed to get dressed fully, and sort her hair out.'

'Bed head I take it?' 'It didn't look too bad actually. I don't quite know what the problem with it was.' 'Maddy's a bit of a fusspot- she wants to look right, and she won't accept anything else.' 'Yeah- I get you. What happened to me giving you that show last night?' 'Sorry- I was just exhausted.'

'No worries- I don't mind. It'll wait.' 'Fair enough. Listen- if I'm not too tired, you can take your kit off tonight.' 'If you want- I'm at your command, remember?' 'Yeah- I know. I'll have to go now- I'm near the hospital.' 'Ok, bye master baby.' 'Bye cutie.' When I came off the phone, I parked up near the hospital, got my leather jacket on, and walked in.

I found the ward quick enough, and when I got there, Akiza was there, but Rio wasn't in her bed. 'Hiya.' 'Hi Akiza, any idea where I can find Rio?' 'I'm in here!' 'She's just sorting her hair out- she's only been up half an hour. She's said her goodbyes- she's made plenty of friends here.'

'This is Rio we're talking about- she could make friends with Hitler.' 'I thought Hitler was dead.' 'You know what I mean.' 'I know, yeah.' 'Good. Where's that medical list I need?' 'Oh yeah- just need to print it off. I'll be back in a minute- I apologise for this.' 'It isn't a problem- I know you're incredibly busy.'

Just as Akiza left the room, Rio emerged from the toilets, and hugged me. 'You came for me.' 'When have I let you down Rio?' 'You're right- thank you. Has Akiza given you that list thingy?' 'No- she's just printing it off now.' 'Could you just move please- I need a sit down.' 'Sure.'

Akiza came back just as Rio sat on the bed, and I noticed that Rio was wearing a very fetching chequed shirt. 'Here you go.' 'Thanks Akiza. I hope this little tearaway hasn't been too much of a pain here.' 'No- she's been brilliant. Sometimes it feels like Rio makes my job a whole lot easier- I'll be sad to see her go.'

'That's sweet Akiza.' 'Seriously- she's remained really positive. I'm just glad that she's recovering though, because for so long it looked like she was gone. I hadn't told you this before Rio, but during your first stay in hospital, you were in a coma for a week. And after you tried to commit suicide, you were clinically dead for 40 minutes. Phil somehow revivied you- I was at a loss to explain to the other doctors how he did that.'

'She had the will to survive- it wasn't her time to die. What matters is that she survived- not who kept her alive.' 'Phil, what are you doing with my ring?' 'I've been wearing it while you've been in hospital- as a mark of respect and togetherness.' I then took the ring off of my finger, and gave it back to Rio.

'Phil- keep it if you want. It was supposed to signify the bond between me and Reginald, but those bonds are blurred now- I see you as my brother now.' 'That's sweet Rio. Wheelchair Akiza?' 'Here- it's been especially designed with a cusioned headrest for her.' 'That's really nice of you Akiza- cheers.'

'No worries. You ready Rio?' 'Yeah- just got to get my jacket on.' 'Fair enough. You look really fresh today.' 'Is that your way of saying that I need to put some make-up on?' 'No- you look better without the slap on you.' Rio then got her jacket on, but just as we were about to leave, Akiza gave Rio a massive card.

'What's this?' 'We're all gonna miss you- we had a bit if a collection, all the staff in the department. We've also got you a little present.' Akiza then produced a massive teddy bear. 'Thanks- means a lot. Bye everyone.' 'Bye.' We then left, with the wheelchair and Rio separate.

'So are we on our way back home?' 'No- we've got a little surprise for you at the base. You'll be returning home in a couple of weeks.' 'Fair enough. Have you brought any breakfast for me?' 'Funnily enough, yeah- I figured you wouldn't have time for breakfast.' 'So...' 'So I thought that I'd take you to Gorton Market to get something from there. I would have done you something myself, but one thing this car doesn't have is an oven.'

After breakfast (Rio had Egg and Chips, and I had nothing because I was paying), we drove back up to the base. 'So who's gonna be at the base to welcome me back?' 'I don't know for certain- we put feelers out to most of the members of the club, but there's no guarantee they'll be able to make it. I know Claude's back, because he phoned me on the way down.'

'Thanks for this. I wanted it to be just us two because I didn't want anyone getting too over-excited the moment I stepped foot out of the hospital. Apparently Akiza's leaving the hospital in a couple of weeks.' 'Oh yeah- she mentioned she'd had a job offer in Washington D.C.' 'That's not where she's going.' 'Where is she going then?'

'St. Mary's Hospital in Manchester.' 'That's where I was born that. She kept it quiet.' 'She received a job offer from them yesterday. Same job as she's doing here, but a big pay rise.' 'How do the other doctors feel about her leaving?' 'They've wished her the best- the door's still open for her to return at any time.'

'How's everyone been?' 'It's been a bit of a strange atomosphere- very tense mostly. With all the ups and downs with your condition, and my mood, there's been a lot of unrest. Maddy's been doing a great job leading the club while I've been taking some time off, but I'll be taking back over soon- she's just finding it a bit too much a bit too soon.'

'Yeah- Maddy's never struck me as the most self-confident person ever.' 'She's not- Hannah's death hasn't helped that at all either. She's just in need of a calming influence at the moment, that's why she's started having these psychology sessions.' 'Yeah- I've missed on a lot, haven't I?'

'Yeah- tends to happen when you've spent the best part of two months in hospital.' 'I know. I'm sorry about what I did on day release.' 'Don't apologise Rio- you have nothing to apologise for as far as I'm concerned.' 'Thanks. Is Reginald coming round?' 'No- he's not answered his phone since WAR.'

'Why does that not surprise me? He still doesn't quite get it- I don't want him to be a hero. I've already got a hero- what I need is for him to be my brother.' 'We'll get there eventually.' 'I know, it's just that I'm still not seeing any kind of acceptance from him that I don't want to do what he wants me to do.'

'Sometimes Rio, it's best to just breakaway from the pack and forge your own path.' 'I know- I just want to know where I stand with him- do we stand united or not. Why are we stopping here?' 'Almost outta gas. And I still need to pick up something for tea tonight- we're all eating at the base for once tonight. Stew do you?'

'Great thanks- anything will do at the moment. I hate being this thin- I was never the biggest person anyway, but I feel hungry all the time at the moment.' 'Trust me- with my portion sizes, you'll be fattened up again in no time.' Once I'd done a quick spalsh and dash, we drove back up to the base.

Point of View- Maddy

Blair and Claude were just hanging the welcome home banner up when I heard Dad's car door close. 'They're back.' 'They can't be- it's nearly an hour early.' 'I know what I heard. Is the banner nearly up yet?' 'Yeah- just clipping it to this wall now.' 'Thanks. Lydia, is everything ready in the rest of the room?'

'Yeah- we're good. How's her temporary room looking?' 'Good- I've just put some nice fluffy cushions in there.' Just then, I heard the door open. 'Everyone, get in position.' 'Who put you in charge Maddy?' 'Dad did. Besides- I'm still the leader Jade.' 'Sorry- forgot about that.'

Just then, Dad wheeled Rio into the room, so we set off the party poppers. 'Surprise!' 'Hi everyone, you didn't have to go to this much trouble for me.' 'Why would we not do that?' 'Because I don't deserve it.' 'Yeah you do. Sorry Astrid's not here, she's still getting some drinks from the shops- we didn't expect you back so early.'

'Why- what time is it?' '10:56.' 'I thought it was 11:44.' 'The clock in my car must have stopped- it is rather temperamental.' 'No worries.' Just then, someone else came in. 'Hey guys- what's up?' 'Jana? You're not due back for 3 weeks yet.' 'I came back to help out- I don't wanna stay away from you lot. It's nice to see you back Rio.'

'Yeah- I'm glad to be back. You're looking great Jana.' 'Thanks- I've put some make-up on just to welcome you home.' 'That's sweet.' 'By the way, someone will need to let Astrid in in a couple of minutes- she's left her I.D. behind. She's still looking for it in her bag- I just noticed it a minute or two back.'

'Thanks Jana.' Brooke then walked up to Jana. 'What part of Wales you from Jana?' 'Crug Mawr- near Cardigan. What about you?' 'Corwen- Denbighshire.' 'I've been there- nice place.' 'I know.' 'So Rio, what does fresh air taste like?' 'Unusual- I've barely had any recently.'

'I can imagine.' 'I can't wait until I can start attending tournaments with the rest of you again.' 'Slow down Rio- you're still fragile. It'll be a few weeks yet before you can fly out to tournaments.' 'Sorry- just wanna get back to normal life.' 'Don't worry Rio- I understand.' 'Thank you- for everything.'

She then hugged me. 'No problem Rio- we're a family, remember?' I nearly lost you twice so I'm gonna make things better this time.' 'I lost myself the second time.' 'We know that. Rio, I'm gonna be naughty now- do you wanna come down to the tournament tomorrow? It's only in Cardiff.' 'Thanks- you sure Akiza won't shout at you?' 'She doesn't need to know- she won't be there probably. Just don't tell anyone else- I'll arrange for a taxi for you.' 'I'll pay.' 'Ok.'

Blair then came over. 'Hey Rio.' 'Hi Blair- sorry we've not spoken yet.' 'No worries- I'm relieved to see you outta there. Just tell me if there's anything I can get you.' 'Thanks- the only thing missing is something you can't get me though.' 'I get you- sorry.' 'You don't need to apologise.' 'Thanks for that Rio- putting my boot in it a bit there.'

'Phil, why you bleeding?' 'It's not a problem- just cut my lip in the night- happens occasionally.' 'No worries- just concerned me a bit.' 'Thanks for the concern Rio.' 'Have I got a bedroom here?' 'Yeah- we've set one up for you. Astrid's moved into Kris' room- they both volunteered to give up their rooms. Well when I say **we **set your room up, I mean that Astrid and Blair painted it, and Maddy made it nice and comfortable.'

Rio then went upstairs. 'It's lovely- thanks.' 'No worries- they wanted to welcome you back.' Astrid then came up. 'Sorry I distracted you against Phil Astrid.' 'Looking back on it, it's quite funny actually- I over-reacted.' 'No worries. Thanks for this everyone.' 'It's a pleasure to have you back Rio.'

After tea (which Maddy helped with superbly), we were going home. 'Maddy, you ready?' 'If it's ok with you Dad, I'll stay here tonight- just to help Rio settle back in. I've got a sleeping bag so I'll be fine.' 'Thanks Maddy. Did I ever mention how wonderful and beautiful and generous my daughter was?'

She then came over, and kissed me on the cheek, before hugging me. 'Did I ever mention how wonderful and handsome and generous my Father was?' 'Which one?' 'You know that as far as I'm concerned I only have one Dad.' 'I know- I was kidding. If you need someone to talk to, my phone's going to be on.' 'Thanks.'

We then went home (Freja, me, Lydia, and Blair). When we got home, Blair went straight to bed, leaving Lydia (who I'd locked back in her trance to avoid her saying no), and Freja (who I'd locked back in her trance... just because I could) to give me a show (you know full well what kind).

**Who will win in Cardiff? Will Rio come? And what is Kari's issue with Rio? To find out, tune in to Renegades: A New Dawn Chapter 8- Family Feud**


	8. Family Feud

Renegades: A New Dawn

Chapter VIII- Family Feud

Point of View- Phil

We were up around 10 the next morning for a gentle drive down to Cardiff. Just as I rolled out of bed (with Freja still asleep next to me), there was a knock on the door. So I had to answer it in just my pants (which was a little strange). 'I'm coming.' When I opened the door, Maddy was there, adjusting her (actually my) baseball cap.

'Hi Maddy, come in.' 'Thanks- have you decided to go out in your pants?' 'No- the tournament starts at 12. We've got plenty of time. Everyone, second warning to get up.' This time, Blair responded by coming down. 'Blair, try coming down before you've got your shirt on- I don't want Akiza having to deal with your broken neck.' 'Sorry- just rushing. What time is it?'

'If the clock down here is right, then it's 10:12.' 'My clock was saying it's half 10.' 'That was probably Freja yesterday- she was rooting around your room looking for your "secret" stash of sweets.' 'They're not even secret- they're in a clear container underneath my clock.' 'I know- Freja didn't look there though. She accidentally knocked your clock down while looking under your bed.'

'That's where Rio keeps all of her "secret" stuff.' 'I know that, you know that. I discovered it about half past 10 while I was stripping the bedding off of your bed to wash it. I usually do it on a Saturday, but we were otherwise engaged on Saturday.' 'Yeah- I know. Thanks Phil.' 'No worries. By the way Maddy, how did you sleep last night?'

'Not brilliantly- it was nothing to do with Rio though- she was so tired that she was off within 15 minutes. The sleeping bag was uncomfortable, and I kept catching the back of my neck on the bloody zip thing.' 'I thought it was just known as a zip.' 'Very funny.' 'Lydia, Freja, third and final warning- get your lazy arses out of bed before I stick dynamite underneath them.'

That got them up. 'Sorry- overslept.' 'Sorry I'm late up- too busy cuddling you.' 'What explains the past 20 minutes then?' 'What do you mean?' 'I've been up since just after 10- Maddy can vouch for that. Talking of you Maddy, whatever happened to your keys?' 'They're still hung up- I forgot 'em yesterday morning.'

'How is Rio anyway?' 'She was in fairly high spirits last night, but she hadn't woken up by the time I left this morning.' 'That's good.' After everyone had got dressed, we went out. 'So where is it we're going?' 'For the last time Lydia, we're going to Cardiff. You know- the capital city of Wales.'

'I know where Cardiff was- I just didn't expect there to be a tournament in Wales.' 'There's 3. There's one in Cardiff, one in Rhyl, and one in Newtown. Don't ask me why there's 3, there just is. Come to think of it, it's the first time there's been a WDC tournament in Wales.' 'Take it it was one of your ideas?'

'No- Hannah's the one who floated the idea of there being tournaments all over the globe a few years ago- that's where the Baltic Championships came from.' 'Seriously? Hannah came up with that?' 'Yeah. Let's not dwell on that though.' We stopped off for a quick break in Hereford, and I texted Rio asking where she was. She replied by saying that she was in the taxi just entering Wales. So I made my excuses, and phoned her up.

'Hi Phil.' 'Hi Rio, just wanted to confirm our plan.' 'Yeah- I know- when I get to the stadium, I'll watch on, but remain hidden behind a wall. Then I get a taxi home after the tournament ends, but leave several minutes after I see everyone else go.' 'That's 100% correct. Sorry you have to do it in secrecy, but everyone will shout at me otherwise.' 'I understand it. You still ok to meet up later?' 'Yeah- during Lunch, I'll make my excuses and go to speak to you- nobody will see us at the side wall.' 'Thanks. See you later.' 'Bye.'

Just after I came off the phone, Maddy came up behind me. 'Who was that?' 'I was just phoning my bank to transfer that £20 for the shopping the other day to your bank account. Said I'd do it.' 'I thought you'd done it yesterday?' 'It didn't transfer- admin error. Recorded my card number wrong apparently.'

'How do we launch an appeal to my suspension?' 'I told Blair to tell you that I've already launched the appeal. It'll have to be looked at by an independent panel, and nobody who isn't on the panel knows who they are. I'd say we've got a strong chance of getting it overturned- they've got no evidence.'

'How do you know that?' 'If you've not done it, then there will be no valid evidence. They were probably hoping you wouldn't appeal. Besides- I'm gonna turn the screw.' 'What do you mean?' 'If... sorry- I meant when it's overturned, I'll make an example of them- I'll threaten legal action if they don't give you some money towards lost earnings. And I'll bag us a WDC tag-title shot while I'm at it.'

We then hi-fived, just as Blair returned. 'What are you two so cheerful about?' 'Once Maddy's ban is overturned, we'll bag ourselves a shot at your tag titles. Threaten legal action over loss of Maddy's earnings.' 'You know that I'll defend these against anyone at any time, whether it be with Brooke or even on my lonesome.'

'The WDC wouldn't like it- they've already booked a rematch between you two and Rachel and Martin for the next Challenger Belt event, which is the Feast of Fools.' 'I thought Black Rose Inc. were the #1 contenders.' 'They've been #1 contenders for weeks now. And Nash and Girag will be annoyed now they're having to wait for their shot against us.'

'Meaning.' 'Meaning that they'll probably end up booking a Fatal-4 Way for the Feast of Fools.' 'And...' 'And that's where we go in- we'll make it 5 teams. Making it a sort of Fatal-5 Way.' 'Interesting. What if you lose to us though?' 'We've still got out rematch clause.' I then got a small briefcase out of my bag.

'And we've got this little beauty.' 'Thank you Maddy.' 'You're welcome. Basically Blair, you're going to have to beat us 3 times.' 'Fine by me- facing you will be good. I've learned most of what I know from you Phil. And now I know more, I want to beat you.' 'Fine by me- I like the aggression.' 'Thanks- you've created that in me.' 'I know- it's what makes me proud. Where are the twins?' 'They've found a shop window that resembles a half-decent mirror.'

'That explains it all thanks. Where exactly are they?' 'Sports Direct.' 'Ok, we'll wait 5 minutes for them, and then I'll go and find her.' 8 minutes later, Freja and Lydia turned up (I'd lost track of time sleeping, and was just about to go look for them when they turned up). 'Sorry about that- lost track of time.' 'No worries. Maddy, how do you fancy taking over the driving?'

'I've not got a license.' 'You've got a provisional- I saw it in your purse yesterday. You're allowed to drive on a provisional if you have a full license holder in the car with you.' 'Thanks- why?' 'I'm tired. If we pass any police, make sure I'm awake.' 'Understood.' 'Can Maddy drive this car?' 'This one's the one she's been learning in. Besides- she's a bright kid.'

Point of View- Blair

Maddy then took over the driving, while Phil relaxed in the back seat. The ride was... well not that relaxing- Maddy was so tense driving that she put full force in every time we braked. And she was very nervous going backwards. 'You ok Maddy? You seem really tense.' 'Yeah- I'm fine.' I knew she was lying though.

When we got to the stadium, Maddy was the first person out. So I pulled her over to one side. 'Maddy, I know you weren't fine.' 'I was just trying to look good in front of Lydia, Freja, and Dad. I was really scared though- it's the first time I've driven for more than 20 minutes.' 'You didn't do that badly- when you were actually moving, it was actually quite comfortable. It was a nice change from Phil's aggressive style of driving.'

'Thanks Blair.' 'What I'm saying is that I know that you were trying to emulate Phil's driving. But maybe you should try and find your own way of driving- it's like duelling. Phil has his strategies, and you have different ones. I'm sounding like that Steve guy now probably.' 'No worries- I know I can open up to you Blair.' 'Friends forever?' 'Forever and longer still.' We then hugged, just as Phil came over.

'Now I've seen it all- Blair hugging someone. I'm kidding- it's good to see you're really close.' 'We're friends forever- we can agree on that.' 'That's good. I'm glad you're having a good time.' 'You not wanting to ask what we're talking about?' 'I don't need to be nosy all the time- I'm just glad to see you both smiling.'

Me and Maddy then both hugged Phil. 'I don't see you as a cousin Phil- I see you as a big brother.' 'And you're the best Dad I could possibly have.' 'Thanks Maddy. Anyway, let's get this ball rolling. I like the element of surprise sometimes, so I'm not looking at the draw.' 'Fair enough- it's your funeral- no puns intended at all by the way.' 'I understand- it'll prove just how good I really am.'

We then walked in, and I took my place in the crowd with Lydia and Freja. Straight away, Hannah's biological Dad came out, to no music, with a mic. "I believe it is now 6 weeks since my beautiful, wonderful, talented daughter Hannah was brutally murdered by her "lover" Phillip Robinson. Now he'd tried to split us up before, and'

Phil's music then hit, to a huge pop, as he came out, with Maddy. 'I am growing increasingly fed-up of people accusing me of murdering Hannah. If I have said it once, I must have said it a million times by now- I did not kill her.' "You have no proof." 'Go on then- show me your proof.'

Birchall then came out, to no music. "I'm his proof Brady. Hannah was destined to be mine, but you took her away from me Brady!" 'If there was proof, then I would have been arrested by now.' "Luckily, I have Cardiff's finest with me. Police, do your job." 'Oh, they'll do their job alright.'

Phil then dropkicked Birchall, knocking him to the ground. Maddy then hit Damien with a roundhouse kick to the skull, before throwing him into Phil, who speared him with so much force that he flipped 180°. Phil then locked on a double-leg guillotine choke, and kept it tight on until Damien started to spit out blood.

The police then came out, and stared down Phil, before slapping handcuffs on Damien. 'Damien Terrance Cummings, I am arresting you on suspicion of Death by Dangerous Driving relating to the death of Marie Gwyn Cummings in 2004. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not state something that you will later rely on in evidence. Do you have anything to say?'

Damien, who was just regaining consciousness, shouted at Phil and Maddy. "You little brats- you won't get away with this.' 'There is nothing to try and get away from- we received a letter yesterday telling us that nobody who is registered to live at our address is a suspect in the murder of Hannah.'

Isabella then came up. 'The following is a Cardiff Super Special match. Introducing first, accompanied by Maddy Robinson-Cummings, from the M18 District of Manchester, England, he is The Most Dangerous Man In The World- Phil Robinson-Cummings.' Phil just hugged Maddy, and passed her his chequed jacket, before getting a deck out of his back pocket and inserting it into his duel disk.

Radley then came out, to new music (Warriors by Imagine Dragons). 'Introducing his opponent, from Lake Jackson, Florida, he is the Roughcut Warrior- Radley.' Radley came out, in a new, tattered jacket, and came straight down, before throwing his sunglasses down onto the ground. He activated his duel disk, starting the duel.

Cardiff Super Special: [14] Phil Robinson-Cummings LP:4000 vs. [23] Radley LP:4000

Turn 1- Phil- 'I'll start. I summon out Deep Sea Diva (Atk:200). Next, I activate her ability, letting me me summon another Diva (Atk:200). I now activate Tannhäuser Gate, making the Levels of both of my monsters 4 (Level:2-4)x2. I now overlay my two Level 4 monsters to build the overlay network, and summon out Bahamut Shark (Atk:2600).'

'I now activate the ability of Bahamut Shark. By detaching an overlay unit, it can bring out a friend- Number 47- Nightmare Shark (Atk:2000). Next, I activate Number 47's ability, letting it turn Atlantean Marksman into an overlay unit. I end my turn.'

Radley- "Time to stop your fun- I draw. I activate Cost Down, lowering the Levels of all monsters in my hand by two. I now summon out Amazoness Queen (Atk:2400). I'll now activate the Field spell Amazoness Village." The field was then changed to a tribeswoman-style village.

"All my Amazoness monsters gain 200 Attack points here (Atk:2400-2600). Amazoness Queen, destroy Bahamut Shark. Oh, did I mention that Amazoness Queen's indestructible in battle? That's a trait not shared by Bahamut Shark." Amazoness Queen and Bahamut Shark locked in on a collision course, but Queen stabbed Phil's Shark, destroying it.

'Your time will come.' "I end my turn with a face-down.'

Phil- 'I draw. I'll play a monster face-down in Defence mode, and switch Nightmare Shark to Defence mode (Def.:2000). That's my turn done.'

Radley- "I draw. I summon out Rose, Warrior of Revenge (Atk:1600). Next, I activate Copy Knight, summoning this card as a copy of Rose, but with no Attack or Defence points or abilities (Def.:0000). I now tune my Level 4 Rose and Level 4 Queen to summon out Crimson Blader (Atk:2800)."

"Crimson Blader, time to slice me some tender Shark meat.' Crimson Blader slashed and sliced away at Number 47, destroying it. "With the ability of Crimson Blader, you can't summon a Level 5 or above monster next turn. I end my turn with a face-down."

Phil- 'I draw. I play a monster face-down in Defence mode and end my turn.'

Radley- "My turn again. I summon out Blue Flame Swordsman (Atk:1800). I now activate the ability of Blue Flame Swordsman. By losing 800 Attack points, it can gift Crimson Blader 800 more Attack points (BFS Atk:1800-1000, CB Atk:2800-3600). I now overlay 3 Level 4 Warriors to build the overlay network, and summon out my own Number!"

Radley then roared. "I summon out Number 24- Samurai Blade Forger (Def.:3000). I now activate it's ability- by detaching one overlay unit, it can target a monster on my field whose Attack points differ from their original value, and it can deal piercing damage when it does battle with a monster in Defence mode. I choose Crimson Blader. Now destroy the first face-down monster with those blades of yours."

Radley's Crimson Blader sliced at Phil's face-down monster (Mermail Abyssdine Def.:200), destroying it, and dropping Phil to one knee (Phil LP:4000-1400). "I end my turn. Pfff- I wanted a challenge man. When I saw the draw, I was licking my lips. But I want to beat an opponent who's trying their best- I want to feel alive. Get up or go home."

'Phil's being destroyed here. Blair- you're his client, what's going on?' 'He's using a deck he's not used to using- part of what makes him so good is that he's memorised his decks inside out and back to front, and he has a bond with his deck. Sounds stupid I know, but I've felt it myself- once you've used a deck you built yourself so many times, you almost get a feeling for it- you just know when your deck's going to deliver the goods.'

Someone then came up behind us, wearing a trench coat. 'It's not just that Blair- he's under pressure. He's got the pressure of Hannah's legacy on his shoulders, and he's feeling the pressure because it feels like he's duelling against the whole world who think that he could be capable of killing Hannah.'

I knew I recognised the voice, but couldn't put a name to it. Then as the person turned around, I saw the distinctive curvature of the tips of her hair. 'Rio?' 'My cover is blown.' Rio then took her hood down. 'You have 10 seconds to explain what you're doing here Rio.' 'I'm not supposed to tell you, but fine. Phil invited me against Akiza's orders, I got a taxi down here from the base.'

'But Maddy said...' 'Maddy didn't know- I snuck out of the house while she was getting dressed. She'd know that I wasn't at the base if she hadn't been late up- she was in a rush, so she didn't check that I was still asleep in our room. It's nice to see you as well.' 'Sorry- I was just surprised that you were here.'

'Don't tell anyone else- Phil wanted to keep it quiet. Please don't have a go at him either.' 'I'm not going to- I know the reasoning behind it, because I know him.' 'Meaning.' 'You just don't get it, do you Freja? You've known him for so long yet you don't know him at all. Phil's kind and caring- that's why he did it. He didn't want Rio to get lonely, nor did he want her to have to miss out.'

I then realised something. 'There's one thing that can help.' 'Go on.' 'Freja, Lydia, have you ever done cheerleading?' 'In school, yeah. Why?' 'Because I think he needs some encouragement.' I then got my cheerleading jacket on, tossed pom-poms to Lydia and Freja, and we went down to start cheerleading.

When we started making the noise, Radley didn't look impressed, but Phil looked at us, and put his head down, while smirking. 'You really know how to pump me up, don't you Blair?' 'Get your head in the game!' "Phil, you're a lost cause- you're damaged goods, powerless to fight back."

That seemed to awaken something inside of Phil. 'Did you just call me damaged goods? Try going through what I've been through- then you'll be damaged. You want a fight?' Phil then undid the buttons on his shirt.

Phil- 'Then it's a fight you're going to get. I draw. I activate Soul Charge. With this, I can revive as many monsters as I choose from my graveyard, but have to pay 1000 Life points to bring back each one. I pay 1000 points to revive Deep Sea Diva (Atk:200, Phil LP:1400-400). Next, I flip my Mermail Abyssmander face-up (Atk:100).'

"Where is this going?" 'I now activate Graceful Charity. This allows me to draw 3 cards, and then discard 2 cards from my hand. Next I activate the ability of the Mermail Abyssmander in my graveyard. By banishing it, I can increase the Levels of all Mermails I control by two (Abyssmander Level:4-6).'

"You're not gonna win mate." 'Do not call me mate Radley. I now activate a card that I know you know. It's called Tannhäuser Gate. This adds the Levels of all monsters I have of a certain type... let's say Sea-Serpent, and gives all the targeted monsters that Level. But you knew that already (DSD Level:2-8, Abyssmander Level:6-8).'

'I now overlay two Level 8 monsters, to build the overlay network. Time to get all tied up as I summon out Number 40- my faithful warrior, Gimmick Puppet of Strings (Atk:3000). I now activate it's ability, detaching an overlay unit to give every monster on your field what's known as a String Counter.'

Number 40 then shot super-strong strings out at both of Radley's monsters, stopping them from moving. "I've got till next turn at least." 'If only you were right. Sadly for you, you're not facing another mid-rank duellist- you're facing the World Champion. That means something- it means I have to bring my A-game. That's why I'm activating Rank-up Magic Icaron's Force. This ranks up Number 40 into a Chaos Xyz monster. Go- Chaos Xyz Evolution!'

We then returned to our seats, knowing that our job was done for now. Radley didn't look nervous, just facing down what he must have known was coming with an icy glare. 'I summon out Chaos Number 40- my faithful warrior of darkness and horror, Gimmick Puppet of Dark Strings (Atk:3300).'

'I now activate it's ability. By detaching one Chaos Overlay Unit, it can obliterate all monsters remaining on the field that have a String Counter attached to them. Then, I can select the monster with the highest original Attack stat, and deal that to you as direct damage. Go- _Melody of Massacre!'_

Number C40 then sliced effortlessly through both of Radley's monsters, destroying them, and the explosion engulfed Radley's entire body, but he somehow stayed on his feet despite the force (Radley LP:4000-1200). 'Any last words?' "I have no regrets- there's nothing to regret when the World Champion defeats you with their A-game."

In an unwise move, Radley then pulled his pants down to reveal his private parts. 'Chaos Number 40, finish this off with a _Sadistic Symphony.' _Number C40 then slashed at Radley with it's harp-shaped instrument, dropping him to his knees, and ending the duel (Radley LP:1200-0000).

After the duel, Rio approached Radley from behind (still disguised), and decked him by smashing a bottle of beer over the back of his head. Phil then picked him up, and just walked away, before Maddy came running in with a spear of her own. They then did the Renegades salute, before coming back up.

When he got back up, we prepared to talk to him about Rio, but he spoke before we could. 'I know that you know about my little surprise- my little secret. I know as well as you do that Rio's here- I'm paying her back for the taxi.' 'How did you find out that she'd revealed herself to us?' 'Maddy told me via telepathy. She heard Rio talking to you.'

'I thought you weren't supposed to bring her here.' 'Akiza doesn't need to know.' 'Fair enough- that's that subject over with. Well done for winning.' 'Cheers- it was difficult.' 'Why did Rio deck Radley?' 'I dunno- sorry.' 'Weren't Kris and Mildred supposed to be with you?' 'Akiza's bringing them over- she's bought herself a people carrier.'

A little while later (after Akiza's convoy had arrived at the stadium, and Woodrow, Jaden, and Bonaparte had gotten through), Martin came out for his duel with... well we don't know who he was against, because the draw just said "special guest". "I don't care which Renegade or even which person from shitty Wales I'm up against, because I am unbeatable. I'll see you in the Last 8 Phil.'

We then got a shock, as Rhydian came out, to no music. He also had a mic. 'I know there's been rumours flying around that due to my suspension, the Brave Bones decided to ditch me. I can disregard the rumour, because I went up to Birchall yesterday and quit the Brave Bones. I know me and Jana founded it, but I don't like the way it's going, and the whole power-share thing with me and Birchall does not work. Oh, and Martin, I quite like Wales thanks.'

He came straight down, activating his duel disk, starting the duel. 'So Rhydian's back then eh?' 'As long as he keeps out of the way of me and Dad, we'll have no problems.' 'Agreed Maddy. How about I take you out to a carvery for your tea tonight- no expenses spared?' 'Thanks Dad. What's this for?'

'I... uh,' 'Spit it out Phil.' 'Fine- I just wanted to find a way to thank you for being so strong for me and for being such a wonderful daughter. Words can't describe how proud of you I am. And I love spending time with you as well- conversation comes so easily to us. No offence to anyone else.'

'I think it'd do both of you some good to spend the evening out together- just the two of you to talk stuff through, and to generally relax and unwind.' 'Thanks.' Just as Martin activated his duel disk, Rhydian looked up at us, and mouthed the word "sorry" to Maddy and Phil. He then drew his hand.

Cardiff Super Special: [79] Martin Garcia LP:4000 vs. [32] Rhydian Morris LP:4000

Turn 1- Martin- "I'll start you traitor. I activate Polymerisation. This fuses together my Fusion Maestro and Dream Clown to summon out Bickuribox (Atk:2300). I'll play two face-downs to impede your progress and end my turn at that."

Turn 2- Rhydian- 'I draw. I activate Polymerisation myself, fusing together Venom Serpent, Venom Boa, Venom Snake, and Venom Cobra to summon out Venom Hydra (Atk:?). I'll fill you in on the details- my monster starts off with 1000 Attack points because you control one none-Venom monster. Then it gains 500 Attack points for each monster fused to summon it, making a cool total of 3000 (Atk:?-3000).'

'My monster is not permitted to attack this turn, so I'll end my turn there.'

Martin- "I draw. I'll activate Fusion Weapon, giving Bickuribox 1200 more Attack points because it's Level is 6 or under (Atk:2300-3500). Now dismantle his Hydra." Bickuribox floated over to Hydra in it's box, before springing out of it with a dagger, stabbing Hydra (Rhydian LP:4000-3500, Hydra Atk:3000-2500).

'Ok, so you've never heard the old story about the Hydra then- no worries. The mythical Hydra had 9 heads, and this Hydra has 4. When it would be destroyed in battle, it can lose one of it's heads, and therefore 500 Attack points, to protect itself. But the head and points don't regenerate until the end of my next turn. If Hydra is attacked while it has no heads left, it's automatically destroyed. And it can't attack with no heads either.'

"Uh, ok. I'll end my turn and try to work out anything you just told me."

Rhydian- 'I draw. I end my turn with a face-down (Hydra Atk:2500-3000).'

Martin- "My turn again. Bickuribox, take another chunk out of his Life points." Bickuribox then retreated back into it's box, before emerging underneath Hydra, knocking one of it's heads back into the air (Rhydian LP:3500-3000, Hydra Atk:3000-2500). 'I activate my face-down, and you walked straight into this one. It's called Damage=Reptile.'

'Here's the deal. I took 500 points of damage, right?' "Right- you can count." 'So now, I get to summon a Reptile monster whose Attack points don't exceed 500. Rise and make everyone bow down to your regal might- Venominon, the King of Poisonous Snakes (Atk:0000).'

"I don't like the look of that." 'Feeling's probably mutual. Venominon gains 500 Attack for every Reptile in my graveyard. There's 4 at the moment, so Venominon's Attack points stand at 2000 (Atk:0000-2000).' "I'll just end my turn."

Rhydian- 'I draw. I activate Pot of Greed, letting me draw 2 cards. Next I activate Space Twister. This lets me make my Hydra's Attack points 1000 (Atk:2500-0000). In return, it can attack directly. Go- _Hydra Biter.__' _Venom Hydra bit into Martin with it's 3 heads, reducing his Life points (Martin LP:4000-3000).'

'I now activate Berserker Soul. Because my direct attack dealt you under 1500 points of damage, I can excavate cards from my deck. If a monster is excavated, I can excavate another card. I can do this up to 7 cards. If a none-monster is excavated, it stays at the top of my deck, and all excavated monsters are sent to my graveyard.'

He then started excavating cards. 'Card 1: Venom Serpent. Card 2: Venominaga, the Diety of Poisonous Snakes. Card 3: Venom Boa. Card 4: Skreech. Card 5: Sinister Serpent. Card 6: Aztekipede, The Worm Warrior. Card 7: Shield Worm. That means 7 Reptiles are going to my Graveyard, added to the 4 already, meaning that Venominon has 11 pieces of food in the graveyard (Atk:2000-5500).'

'Venominon, destroy Bickuribox with _Fanged Venom.' _Venominon launched it's snakes at Bickuribox, destroying it (Martin LP:3000-1000). 'I'll end my turn there.'

Martin- "My turn. I activate Raigeki, destroying all the monsters on your field." Raigeki shot out two blasts of orange lightning, destroying both of Rhydian's monsters. 'I activate the ability of Venominon. When destroyed, I can bring it back by banishing a Reptile in my graveyard (Atk:5000).'

"Fine- Plan B. I'll throw a monster down in Defence mode and end my turn with that."

Rhydian- 'Back to me. I draw. I end my turn with a face-down.'

Martin- "I draw. I end my turn again, this time with a face-down."

Rhydian- 'I draw. I end my turn.'

Martin- "Me again- I draw. I activate Raigeki again, to destroy your Venominon." Raigeki activated again, and got another bullseye on Venominon, destroying it. "Just bring your monster back man." 'I could easily do that. Or I could activate my face-down- Rise of the Snake Diety. When Venominon is sent to the graveyard, this Trap activates, and lets me summon Venominaga- the Diety of Poisonous Snakes (Atk:0000-5500).'

"Grrrr- I can't activate Netherworld Sword now." 'Too right- you can't.' 'Phil, what does Netherworld Sword do?' 'Glad you asked Blair. Netherworld Sword activates if you revive a monster from the Graveyard through it's own effect. It negates the effect, banishes the monster, and deals 500 points of damage for each Level the banished monster has, Venominon's Level 10, so Rhydian would have been hammered with 5000 points of direct damage, which would mean goodbye Rhydian.'

'Do you think Rhydian saw that coming?' 'No- I don't Rio. Rhydian's not got very good foresight- he probably summoned Venominaga because of it's immunity.' 'Immunity? Of course- I saw it on the card when he lost to you- Venominaga can't be harmed by a card effect.' 'No- nor can it be destroyed by battle.'

'So Phil, what's the plan with Astrid?' 'Funny you should ask that Rio. The plan is that I'll coax the darkness out of her, and then we'll start training her up- training session pencilled in for next week.' 'Is there any role for me there?' 'If Akiza agrees, you can work as my assistant.'

'What does that entail?' 'Keeping hold of the keys, passing each weapon over to me, making sure the equipment's all in working order, a lot of important stuff. And trust me Rio- you'll be back in training as soon as Akiza says it's safe to. And I have a way of talking her around. But yeah- Astrid'll be returning to duelling in a couple of weeks- once I've repackaged her.'

'Don't you think that we should be our own little splinter group of the Renegades- like Black Rose Inc. are?' 'I like your thinking Blair. What about you Dad?' 'Here's the deal- you come up with a group name that is unique and I like, and I can find suitable theme music, then yeah- sure.'

Rhydian- 'I draw. I activate Venom Whip. With this, all Venom monsters I control can attack directly this turn. And guess what- Venominaga's treated as a Venom monster through her ability. Now finish this off.' "I activate my face-down- Mirror Force." Mirror Force flipped face-up, but it failed to activate as Venominaga beared down on him.

He started hammering at the button on his duel disk. "Work you stupid think- I only stole you yesterday." 'The duel disk isn't the problem. Venominaga's ability stops you from affecting her with Spells or Traps- that goes for both of us.' "What about Venom Whip then?" 'It works- ask someone who knows.'

Venominaga shot snakes out of herself at Martin, ending the duel (Martin LP:1000-0000). After the duel, Rhydian just posed in the centre of the duel arena as his music played. As he left, Phil and Maddy went to follow him. 'Where you going?' 'Need to arrange something with Rhydian.'

Point of View- Phil

Me and Maddy then went to speak to Rhydian. We found him skulking around in a nearby corridor. 'You don't make yourself hard to find do you?' 'What do you want?' 'To help you strangely. You say you quit the Brave Bones?' 'Jumped before I was pushed- they've got a bounty on my head.'

'How about we make a little alliance then. Basically, we help you out with them, and you help us out with them. Starting with your little handicap duel next week against Spica and Rachel.' 'What about it- I can handle 'em.' 'Not saying you can't. But I've talked to Maddy, and how about making it a regular tag match.'

'Who would my partner be?' 'Me. Dad's agreed to it, and I want to help.' 'I don't need your pity.' 'It's not about pity- I'm not doing it for you. I'm doing it because like it or not, I'm the one who will save our race. Look into my eyes Rhydian- I do nothing for you anymore- I ain't your little bitch anymore.'

'Didn't say you were. I still want you back Maddy, but that's no good if we have no race left.' 'I want doesn't get. I still want you out of my life once and for all Rhydian, but I won't get what I want because you're still so obsessed by the idea of me and you being star-crossed lovers.'

'Why did you come over then?' 'To tell you about me tagging with you.' 'You're just gonna screw me over, aren't you?' 'I won't- I'd suggest being nice to me though. I could quite easily get rid of you at the start, and then take out the other two.' 'Why did you come here- you're suspended.'

'Wrongly. And besides- I'm allowed to attend as a fan- Dad needs support. Now if you don't mind, we'll leave.' 'One last thing Phil- why did Venom Whip work with Venominaga?' 'It's simple Rhydian- your duel disk's faulty. Venom Whip shouldn't have worked for the same reason as Mirror Force not working.'

We then left Rhydian. 'What next Dad?' 'Apparently I'm up against Pipe next.' 'Oh yeah- what deck are you using?' 'He seems to use a Gravekeeper's deck which focuses on sealing off the Graveyard. So I need a deck which doesn't use the Graveyard. If I had my Timelord deck, it would be ideal. But I don't, so I think I will try out my new Meklord deck. I know he's not shown any Synchro capabilities yet, but Gravekeeper's monsters aren't known for their attacking capabilities.'

'We've gotta wait for the rest of Round 1 to end first. Hang on- Akiza's out there. How do we hide Rio?' 'Rio knows to sneak off whenever Akiza comes over. The others have a cover story- the girl in the trench coat is Hannah's sister Megan, and she's come over to watch the tournament with us in a show of solidarity.' 'You've really got it all planned out, haven't you?' 'Yeah- trust me.'

We then got back, just in time to see Black Rose Dragon winning Akiza's duel (Akiza LP:3000, Girag LP:1400-0000). After her win, Jana, Lukas, and Tee all got on their knees and started hailing Akiza (it was good to see Jana doing that after Maddy's effort). Just as she led them away, me and Maddy came over to her.

'Lukas, your duel's up next. Tee, Jana, stand there and do nothing. Hey- what's up?' 'Nothing much thanks- Girag gave me a brief challenge early on. What's the tactic to take on Pipe later?' 'Beat him. No seriously- his deck revolves around stopping cards going to the graveyard. That doesn't work if you're not sending cards to the graveyard.'

Just then, a senior member of the WDC came out. 'Just before the next duel, we have an announcement to make. Maddy Robinson-Cummings, please come over.' 'I'm moving nowhere- I can hear you from down here.' 'We are only speaking to you.' 'Dad's staying here- he's my manager.'

'I'm not gonna get involved unless Maddy wants me to.' 'Good. My name is Daniel Otunga, and I am the Executive Vice-President of Talent Relations for the World Duel Championships. I am here regarding your suspension from duelling.' 'And you don't want to discuss it in some sort of stuffy office? Big surprise.'

'I am here to inform you that we have investigated the corruption claims against you.' 'Yeah.' 'And I am happy to inform you that we have found absolutely no evidence to back up the claim- your suspension is as of this moment terminated.' 'I'm not done with you yet- I want compensation.'

'I'm sorry but I cannot authorize that.' 'Tell your little mates at the WDC that I want a tag-title shot against Blair and Brooke at Feast of Fools, and £1800 compensation, because that is the prize for winning here.' 'I will get back to you.' 'You have 60 minutes.' 'We will get back to you after making a decision.' '59 minutes.'

Lukas' opponent was already out when we got there. 'Introducing, representing Black Rose Inc., and from the Bishop and Clerk Islands, Tasmania, Australia, the Cursed Thorn- Lukas Chipperfield.' Lukas just stared his opponent (Jesus Garido), before activating his duel disk.

Cardiff Super Special: [16] Lukas Chipperfield LP:4000 vs. [128] Jesus Garido LP:4000

Turn 1- Lukas- 'I start. I activate Graceful Charity. This lets me draw 3 cards and then discard two cards. I now activate Premature Burial, to pay 800 Life points and summon out Strong Shovel Excavator from my Graveyard (Atk:1800). By the way, when Strong Shovel Excavator's recovered from my Graveyard like this, it gains an entire Level (Level:3-4).'

'I now summon out Jumbo Drill (Atk:1800-2100). I now activate another Spell- Charging Construction. This activates because I Normal summoned a Heavy Industry monster this turn- it lets me summon this in Defence mode. Meet Road Roller (Def.:2100, Jumbo Drill Atk:2100-2400). I now activate a second Graceful Charity, giving me another 3 cards, and then ditch two. I activate Overhaul. This gives all my Machines another Level (Level:4-5).'

'I now overlay my three Level 5 monsters to build the overlay network, and summon out an old favourite of mine from before I saw the truth. I summon Digvorzhak- King of Heavy Industry (Atk:3200). I end my turn.'

Garido- "My turn. I summon out Knight Hunger Monger (Def.:1600). I end my turn with 2 face-down cards."

Lukas- 'I draw. I activate Silent Doom, reviving Road Roller (Def.:2100). I now release it to Advance summon Cyber Dragon (Atk:2100). Next I activate the ability of Digvorzhak. By detaching an overlay unit, I can send 3 cards from the top of your deck to your graveyard. For each monster sent, I can destroy a card on the field.'

Digvorzhak then used up an overlay unit, and sent three cards to Garido's Graveyard (Dark Blade, Marauding Captain, Rocket Warrior). 'Your number's up- say goodbye to all 3 of your cards.' Digvorzhak then destroyed all 3 cards, including the two face-downs (The Warrior Returning Alive and Copy Knight).

'Digvorzhak, full steam ahead.' Digvorzhak came plowing into Garido (Garido LP:4000-800). 'Cyber Dragon, finish this with _Strident Blast.' _Cyber Dragon blasted Garido, ending the duel. After the duel, me and Akiza locked eyes before walking off in separate directions.

A bit later, the draw for the Second Round was complete. 'You're not against Pipe after all Dad- Freja misread. You're up against Tyranno Hassleberry.' 'Thanks Maddy- this'll be interesting. I'm up against someone I've never heard of before even.' 'Claude's mates with him apparently.' The draw was:

[10] Akiza Izinski vs. [2] Woodrow Stratus

[101] Kari Tsukumo vs. [23] Kieran Byrne

[77] Tyranno Hassleberry vs. [14] Phil Robinson-Cummings

[16] Lukas Chipperfield vs. [40] Kenta Kobayashi

[21] Commander Koda vs. [27] Justin Pipe

[102] Spica vs. [111] Jordan Skelly

[10] Rachel Eckersall vs. [19] Eagle Adams

[27] Jaden Yuki vs. [53] Mile Ledinak

'So what's the deal with the five rounds then?' 'The WDC are "trying to make things more interesting". Adding an extra round doesn't help in my opinion- what they need is more formats. There's at least one tournament coming up later in the season where all the duels are 3-ways.' 'Nice one. You up now then Phil?' ' Yeah.'

'What deck are you using Dad?' 'Dinosaurs have a few Synchro monsters, but not many. I can't risk the Meklord deck without knowing the exact relationship between Claude and Hassleberry.' 'So...' 'I'm going to stick to what I know- Firepower. I'll just overwhelm him before he gets chance to mount a response.'

'Just in case things don't go to plan Dad, take these two.' 'Thanks- you're a good girl. Kris and Mildred are waiting for us, so we'd better be off.' 'Sunglasses.' 'Thanks.' We then went off for my second duel.

Point of View- Blair

Hassleberry came out first, to Claude's music. 'The following is a Second-Round duel here in Cardiff. Introducing first, from Indianola, Mississippi, he is Tyranno Hassleberry.' As Hassleberry came down, he looked up, and me and him locked eyes. He pointed at me, and I jumped down from the stands.

'Blair? What are you doing not in the tournament?' 'Go away now- I told you not to come near me.' 'Come on Blair- we're mates.' 'You thought we were mates- maybe we were once. Not anymore though- not since I saw the truth.' 'You've lost me.' Just then, Phil came out, with Maddy and their stunt doubles (Kris Travison and Mildred Blaize Mortis).

'Get away from Blair.' 'You what?' 'I said get away from my cousin Blair. Now!' 'Sam Hill- she's your cousin?' 'Yeah- and I'm very protective of her. So get away from her now.' 'What have you done to her? She's cold and unresponsive.' 'Blair, stand down.' 'Yes master.' 'Hassleberry, let's just duel.' Both of them activated their duel disks, starting the duel.

[77] Tyranno Hassleberry LP:4000 vs. [14] Phil Robinson-Cummings LP:4000

Turn 1- Phil- 'I'll start. I draw. I activate the Field spell know as Burning Ocean- District M18!' As the Field spell activated, I moved over to Maddy. 'You ok Mads?' 'A hug'd help.' We then hugged, as the Field materialized. 'Next, I summon out Northern Sage (Atk:1000). My Sage's ability lets it be treated as two Level 4 monsters when I Xyz summon an Xyz monster with Northern Lights in it's name. I overlay my two Level 4 Northern Sages to build the overlay network, and summon out my calling card. Arrive upon this noble plain Number 99- Northern Lights Dragon (Atk:3000).'

'By the way, just to inform you, I can use my Field spell to pay 500 Life points and rank-up Number 99. Go- Renegades Xyz Evolution! Oh holy dragon, born of purity and light, reach your more noble stage and spread your shining wings. I summon out Number 99- Northern Lights Saint Dragon (Atk:3500, Phil LP:4000-3500).'

'I'll end my turn with 2 face-downs. Saint Dragon's ability now activates. Because I didn't attack this turn, and my Life points are under 4000, Saint Dragon detaches one overlay unit to increase my Life points to 4000. Go- _Noble __Shine.' _Number 99 shone brightly, covering Phil in a revealing light, almost like an X-Ray (Phil LP:3500-4000).

Turn 2- Tyranno- 'I draw.' 'Before you do anything, I'll activate Field Barrier. Now you can't replace my Field spell.' 'Fine- I'll summon out Dyna Base (Def.:2100). I now activate it's ability, dismissing it and the Black Tyranno in my hand to summon out Dyna Tank (Atk:?). 'I know about Dyna Tank- it gains Attack points equal to the monster you discarded (Atk:?-2600).'

'I now activate Premature Burial, reviving my Black Tyranno at the cost of 800 Life points (Atk:2600, Tyranno LP:4000-3200). I now activate Megamorph. It doubles the Attack points of my Tank because your Life points are higher than mine (Atk:2600-5200). Now Dyna Tank, destroy his Saint Dragon with _Wagon Rammer!'_

Dyna Tank charged straight in at Number 99, before going to bite in to it's neck. But Phil had a plan. 'Hey Dino-boy, I've got news for you. I activate the Trap Soul of the Wolf!' 'My card. My ultimate card.' 'What?' 'Maddy, watch me make you proud. Soul of the Wolf requires me to drop my Life points to zero.'

A massive beam of purple light then engulfed Phil, who transformed into his Chaos form (Phil LP:4000-0000). 'Sam Hill- I've won?' 'You wish. Soul of the Wolf also summons out Number 83 and Diamond Dire Wolf. Maddy, take centre stage.' 'Absolutely.' Maddy and Diamond Dire Wolf then came out (DDW Atk:2000, Number 83 Atk:4000).'

'A wolf-girl eh? Added to the fact that she's sizzling hot- this young dino's getting the old itch.' 'She ain't looking for someone. Even if she was single, she would not go anywhere near you. I say that because I know how her mind works.' 'Sorry- got kinda carried away there. Why are you still in the duel though?'

'Simple- Soul of the Wolf has another effect. My two monsters hold the keys. If both my monsters are destroyed in battle, I lose.' 'What about card effects?' 'If you destroy them via card effects, they come back and I gain Life points equal to the amount I had when I used the trap.'

'Fine- I'll end my turn with a face-down.'

Phil- 'I draw. I end my turn with 2 face-downs.'

Tyranno- 'I draw. I summon out Babycerasaurus (Def.:500). Next I'll switch Dyna Tank to Defence mode (Def.:2100), and end my turn.'

Phil- 'I draw. I summon Northern Lights Wolf (Atk:800). Next I activate Overlay Award, giving Diamond Dire Wolf an overlay unit. I'll use it up now, detaching an overlay unit to destroy Northern Lights Wolf and Dyna Tank. Go- _Diamond Dance of Death!' _Diamond Dire Wolf ripped up Northern Lights Wolf, before howling, and doing the same to Dyna Tank, making it blow up.

'Diamond Dire Wolf, attack little Babycerasaurus with _Terror Fang!' _Diamond Dire Wolf ripped up Babycerasaurus with it's fangs, destroying it. 'Any last words? No- didn't think so. Maddy, do your thing.' Maddy's wolf form then leapt onto Hassleberry, before scratching at him (Tyranno LP:4000-0000).

After the duel, another interviewer came over. 'Phil, great win there- you were pulling no punches against someone who is a relative unknown on the circuit.' 'For Hassleberry, it wasn't personal- it was simply case of wrong place, wrong time.' 'I'm not too sure how to put this, but since the events of November 1st, how has your relationship with Blair and Maddy in particular changed?'

'Whatever anyone else claims, let me set everyone straight- these two have been so strong for me, you would never believe it- I adore them both, and they are two of the most beautiful humans ever to have existed, and when they are both 10 time World Champions, I'll still be there for them like I always have been, I'll have their back like they have mine.'

'Are either of them single?' Phil then lost it, and pushed the interviewer into a wall, before throwing him up into the air, and punching his ribs in mid-air. 'You're' 'Excuse me, we'll deal with him.' It was our old mate Jordan James. 'Are you here to accept Maddy's demands?' 'No- I'm here to negotiate. How far will you negotiate?'

'For someone unbiased such as you, I may be willing to reduce my terms.' 'My offer is compensation of £900, and a title shot, not at Feast of Fools, but at New Year's Revolution on January 7th.' ' Make the compensation £1350, and you have a deal- meet halfway.' 'I accept the deal.'

'Good. Oh yeah- there's the small matter of an apology.' 'An official apology has been posted on the WDC website, and an official letter of apology has been sent to your registered home address.' 'Pleasure doing business with you.' 'Good. And just for the record, I am very sorry that you were ever suspended- it was supposed to be a routine check.' 'Fine- we got our title shot.' As Jordan James left, Phil went to find Akiza while me and Mads went to find the rest of the gang.

Point of View- Phil

I found Akiza on her own, preparing for her duel. 'Hi Akiza.' 'Oh, hey Phil- what's up?' 'Nothing much- just wanted to see how you are- not really spoken about you much recently, with work and all of that.' 'Thanks- not many people in the club ask about me really.'

'Yeah, well maybe we should- you've been brilliant to us Akiza. Not just in medical terms, but also with Black Rose Inc., and with mentoring Maddy as well recently- she's told me how helpful you've been.' 'Thanks- just trying to pay you back.' 'For what?' 'You showed me where I was going wrong- I was thinking of myself and nobody else previously. Now everything I do is for the club.'

'I'm glad to hear it Akiza. By the way, any word on your tag title match yet?' 'No- not a thing. I'm just gonna vacate my belt anyway- I never wanted it. I just wanted to get it off of Barian control. What's up with Maddy today?' 'What do you mean?' 'I saw her earlier in the corridor- she seemed to be really slow and down on energy.'

'I'm not sure- she's not been eating properly though. That's part of the reason I've invited her out for a meal tonight- try and work out if something's wrong.' 'Yeah. When's my booster due?' 'I've lost track- I think it was due a couple of weeks back.' 'Could you renew it now then?'

'Alright- if you're sure.' 'My loyalty is to you master.' 'If we face each other here, I'll de-activate it for the duel. How's Jana doing?' 'She's completely empty- I've been using her as a skivy all week, and she's still so empty.' 'The rings are powerful.' 'Oh yeah- here's them back.' 'Thanks Akiza. Just tell me when you're ready.' 'Ready.'

I then decided on my weapon of choice- a coin. 'Akiza, watch the pretty coin of gold, and you will do as you are told. You will obey only me. Keep watching the coin Akiza- you are being hypnotised.' As Akiza's face went expressionless, I put my coin away. 'Akiza, when I click my fingers, you will instantly fall into a deep trance, where only what I say matters.'

I then clicked my fingers, and Akiza fell into my arms, with her hair down. So I sat her up, and started stroking her hair. 'Akiza, your mind is currently trapped in it's own little world- one that I rule over. Black Rose Inc. all belong to me, and I can do what I like with you all. Your heart is cold and your eyes emotionless- you are no more than a warrior, marching to my beat.'

I then woke her up. 'Feeling better?' 'I will obey master. How may I serve you?' 'I want you to make an example of Woodrow later- he helped us out, but he's still against us- he is an enemy.' 'I understand. Thank you for showing me the way.' 'You're welcome Akiza. Take your Primal Number as well.' 'Of course.'

I then left, and bumped into Ceri. 'Ceri, you had chance to see Rhydian?' 'Yes- he's still distant though. He isn't right still- he doesn't think. He is blinded by rage at Maddy because she made a decision to protect herself and her pack. I don't know how to help.' 'Sorry, I don't have the answer Ceri. I get the feeling that he doesn't care what happens to him as long as he gets revenge on someone though. I get the feeling it isn't Maddy though.'

'Just be warned- it's a dark moon tonight.' 'Sorry- I don't know what one is.' 'Happens once a month- wolfbloods lose all their powers. Do you ever look up at the night sky?' 'Yeah- I do a lot of astronomy, looking through a telescope at the night sky. Sometimes I ditch the telescope and just look up myself. How important is the night sky to your race?'

'Highly important. We use it to tell us when to migrate, and which direction to go. It acts as a sixth sense- we use it almost like a human would use natural instinct- the sky tells us things. Why do you ask?' 'I'm not like everyone else- I don't want to harm wolfbloods. I know the secret, but I'm fascinated by you- I want to learn about your race. I want to save your great race. I have since I first met Maddy.'

'Is that why you took her in?' 'Originally, yes. But after that, I realised that I wanted her to be my daughter. She'd been telling me for months how unhappy she was at home because she had no freedom, and she just felt restrained and hidden from the rest of the world. Her story touched me, and we became close friends.'

'She told you that?' 'Yeah. I've probably got a recording of it on my phone- I kept a diary of stuff she said to me in case it became useful later.' 'Why do you not hunt us?' 'Why would I do that? I'm not that kind of person- Wolfbloods aren't monsters. They're just more gifted versions of normal humans. My theory is that people who hunt your race aren't scared, they're bitter and jealous that you can do something that they can't.'

'Well thank you for that.' 'Do you know the story of the wolfblood saviour?' 'Yes- off by heart.' 'I think it's Maddy you're looking for. It says that the young cub from the heartlands emerges from hiding to reveal her true self and become a fierce warrior, joining forces with rebel humans against the hunters of your race.'

'And.' 'Think about it- the heartlands. Wolfbloods originated in the woods in the North of England, and with what Maddy said about being hidden away, it all adds up.' 'You may have a point. Anyway, I'd better be getting back.' 'See you later.' 'See ya Ceri.' I then got back.

Just as I got back, Kari was coming out for her duel. 'The following is a Second-Round duel. Introducing first, from Dodge City, Kansas' Kari was then ambushed by Rio (still disguised in the trench coat). Blair, Maverick and Belle then started beating down on her, as Kieran just watched on. The 4 of them then posed, as Kari received medical attention.

A few minutes later, an X sign went up from one of the medics. 'Kari Tsukumo is unable to compete. Your winner- Kieran Byrne.' Kieran then retreated before the girls could get to him. They weren't interested though, because they were too busy picking on the carcus of Kari.

Me and Maddy then headed down, and I grabbed Kari's arms, restraining her. Blair then ran in with a boot to her left shoulder, and Maddy with one to the right shoulder. Belle then dropkicked Kari in the gut, and threw her overhead. We then posed, and left Kari laying, as Akiza came out.

'The following is a Second-Round duel. Introducing first, from Washington D.C., she is the leader of Black Rose Inc.- Akiza Izinski.' Akiza walked straight past me, and we just slapped hands, before we walked back to the stands, and Akiza walked to the duelling zone.

Woodrow then came out to new music (Special Op by Jim Johnston). 'Introducing her opponent, from Sanford, North Carolina, he is the Wood Cutter- Woodrow.' Woodrow came out, and started playing to the crowd. After a few minutes, he walked down to the duelling zone, and they began their duel.

Cardiff Super Special: [10] Akiza Izinski LP:4000 vs. [2] Woodrow Stratus LP:4000

Turn 1- Akiza- 'Get ready, because I'm up first, and I mean business. I summon out Twilight Rose Knight (Atk:1000). I now activate it's ability, letting me summon Hedge Guard (Def.:2100). I now tune Level 3 Twilight Rose Knight with Level 3 Hedge Guard. I am the black rose, and you will bow before me as I summon Queen of Thorns (Atk:2200).'

'I'll end my turn with a couple of face-downs. Prepare for the suffering- I'm a Renegade.'

'What's up with Akiza- she seems cranky.' 'Akiza's always cranky when duelling. Besides- it's a side effect of her quick hypnosis top-up.' 'Dad has a point- Akiza never smiles while duelling unless her opponent's squirming. It's the way she grew up duelling- duelling to inflict pain and agony on everyone who stood in her'

Maddy then just fell asleep. 'What's up with her- she's been yawning all day.' 'Dark moon.' 'A what?' 'It's a phenomena that mere humans don't notice without a super-strong telescope. It makes wolfbloods weak and completely powerless.' 'Why's she asleep then?' 'Self defence strategy- wolfbloods are defenceless when there's a dark moon, so they go to sleep to look like normal humans.'

'You don't have a clue, do you?' 'Nope.' 'Wolfbloods are amazing- I didn't know they existed. Did you say you're trying to protect them?' 'We are- as a club. There's an old wolfblood fairytale that I've got with me. I only have the top half of it as the rest has rotted away due to age.'

I then read out the tale. "There comes a day, a time, a place where wolfbloods of all ages, all shapes, all sizes, all have to unite to take on the evil within, the Hunters. These Hunters will not take any pity, and will use amazing and dangerous weapons to destroy our race because they feel it is their right to give and take life."

"On that day, we all howl a the moon as one pack, and the one howl answers- the saviour. The saviour goes by the name" Just then, Belle managed to decipher some of the rotted stuff. 'The name is Radmog Midon Bunyns Cimns.' 'Thanks Belle.' 'There's more.' She then read out more.

"The one saviour who emerged from the shackles of one life finds her true family, and then learns of her vital job- to save the world of wolfbloods from the forces of the whole tree and the skeleton army. Then she will shine, and her primal mauler will decide everything." 'Primal Mauler- I get it now. Phil, you know when Maddy attacks in her primal form? The Attack name is Primal Icaron Mauler.'

'Oh yeah. Wait a moment- I'm not very good with anagrams. Actually, I'll wait for Akiza or Lukas- they're brilliant at them.' 'What can Woodrow do here?' 'Nothing, and like it- he has to destroy Queen of Thorns. And Akiza won't worry about her ability, because you can bypass it by your monster being a Plant-type, like Akiza's entire deck.'

Woodrow- 'I draw. I summon out Beast Striker (Atk:1800).' 'Where's the payment?' 'What payment?' Queen of Thorns then wrapped a thorn around Beast Striker, before it also wrapped around Woodrow. The thorns then started glowing pink, and Woodrow felt the pain (Woodrow LP:4000-3000).

'Queen of Thorns requires you to take 1000 damage to Normal or Special summon a monster that isn't a Plant-type. And guess what my deck's based around.' 'Fine- I activate Beast Fangs, giving Beast Striker another 300 Attack points (Atk:1800-2100). I also activate the equip spell Flint, making your monster lose 300 Attack points (Atk:2200-1900).'

'You impressed yet?' 'I'm the Black Rose- nothing you can do impresses me.' 'Maybe this will help then- Beast Striker, attack.' Beast Striker struck at Queen of Thorns, and Akiza looked like she was about to activate her face-down, but she decided not to, letting Queen of Thorns be destroyed (Akiza LP:4000-3800).

'Have you forgotten about Flint Woodrow? When the equipped monster leaves the field, you have to select another monster on the field to equip it to. There's only one monster on the field.' Flint then equipped itself to Beast Striker (Atk:2100-1800). 'I end my turn with a face-down.'

Akiza- 'I draw. I summon Bird of Roses (Atk:1800). Next, I activate Monster Reborn, reviving Twilight Rose Knight (Atk:1000). I now tune my Level 3 Knight with my Level 4 Bird of Roses to Synchro summon the Dark Highlander (Atk:2800).'

'How did Akiza get that?' 'It was originally hers. I won it off of her in a bet in 2010.' 'Really?' 'Yeah- we had a friendly rivalry over the World Number 1 spot. She bet me that I couldn't overtake her by New Year 2011. If she won, I had to pay her £300. If I did, she had to give me Dark Highlander.'

'And.' 'I reached the World Number 1 spot... on New Year's Eve 2010. Akiza kept up her end of the bargain. Mind you- I lost the top spot on January 4th, so it didn't last long.' 'How long have you been Number 1 in your career?' 'Bearing in mind you've now been Number 1 for 80 days Blair- in my career, I've been Number 1 for 45 days.'

'Who's been there the most?' 'Hannah- she was Number 1 for a total of 2011 days, 90 more than Jaden and 101 more than Akiza. I've spent over 4000 days in the Top 10 though- only Akiza has managed more. She overtook me for that yesterday.' 'Wow. You think I have a chance at Worlds?'

'Blair, I think you and the sleeping party both have a very real chance of ultimate victory. I'm hedging my bets now on at least one of you two being in the World Championship final.' Maddy then stirred. 'You sure she's ok Phil?' 'She's asleep Blair. Listen- if she isn't awake in 10 minutes, I'll give her a nudge, just to check on her.'

'I now activate the ability of Dark Highlander. It can destroy all Equip spells you control, and deal you with 400 points of damage for each one.' Dark Highlander chopped off the tips of the Beast Fangs, before smashing Flint up with it's axe, dealing damage to Woodrow (Woodrow LP:3000-2200).'

'Dark Highlander, destroy Beast Striker with _Highlander's Swinging Scythe.' _Highlander smashed up Beast Striker, destroying it, and leaving Woodrow flat on his back (Woodrow LP:2200-1200). 'I end my turn with a face-down. Get up so I can finish you.'

Woodrow- 'You're strong- I'll give you that. I draw. I activate Call of the Haunted, reviving Beast Striker (Atk:1800). I now release it, to summon out Photon Leo (Atk:2100). I now activate Photon Leo's effect. Because of the way I summoned it, you have to shuffle your hand back into your deck and draw a new one, equal to the amount of cards you shuffled back in.'

'Fine- my hand contains 3 cards.' 'With that done, I activate Megamorph, doubling the Attack points of Leo (Atk:2100-4200). Now destroy Dark Highlander.' 'I activate De-Synchro. This returns my monsters to their basic forms, and avoids your attack (TRK Atk:1000, BOR Atk:1800).'

'I end my turn.'

Akiza- 'I draw. I activate Star Light, Star Bright. This makes my Knight Level 4 (Level:3-4). Next I'll activate Tannhäuser Gate. This mystical gate will double the Levels of both my monsters (Level:4-8). I now overlay my two Level 8 monsters, to build the overlay network, and summon out Alsei- the Sylvan High Protector (Atk:2300).'

'I now activate it's ability, letting me detach one overlay unit to excavate the top card of my deck. I then have to think of a card name, and if the card is the one I named, it's added to my hand. Otherwise, it goes to my graveyard. I'm relying on my deck here- I draw. I predict that the card excavated was Lightning Vortex.'

She then revealed the card. 'It's Wall of Thorns.' 'Good- I like that.' 'Luckily, I had a backup plan. I'll activate the other part of Alsei's ability. Because a card effect made a card go from my deck to my graveyard, I can take your Photon Leo, and put it at the top or the bottom of your deck. Just in case, I'll put it on the bottom.' Grass then started growing around the jacked Leo, which slowly disappeared behind vines, before it returned to the bottom of his deck.

'Alsei, finish this with _Guardian Horn Grass Ram.' _Alsei ran in, looking to butt Woodrow. 'I activate Draining Shield, negating your attack and giving me Life points equal to the Attack of your monster (Woodrow LP:1200-3500).' 'I activate Double or Nothing! This doubles the Attack points of my monster, and lets it attack again (Atk:2300-4600). Attack with _Guardian Horn Double Grass Ram!' _Alsei doubled in size, and completely took out Woodrow, upending him, and ending the duel (Woodrow LP:3500-0000).

After the duel, Akiza just bent down to Woodrow. 'All for the Renegades.' She then left, and came back up. 'Who's that in the trench coat?' 'Megan- Hannah's sister. She decided to sit with us for safety, because Birchall's gang are after her. We had something to ask you by the way.'

Akiza tied her hair back, and sat down. 'Go on.' 'Are you good with anananana' 'What Blair's trying to ask is if you're good with anagrams.' 'Yeah- I like to think so. Why?' 'We've got one for you. We think it relates to the sleeping party in some sort of way, but we're not entirely sure- it's part of this legend.'

'Go on then.' We then passed it to her. She ummed and arred over it for a couple of minutes, before writing it down on her notepad. 'Put this here, and that there, and I've worked it out.' 'Go on.' 'The elders back then sure were good at predictions- the anagram is Maddy Robinson Cummings.' 'Thanks.'

Maddy then stirred again, before slowly opening her eyes. 'Hello sleeping beauty.' 'How long have I been asleep?' 'About 20 minutes.' 'Sorry. I take it Akiza won.' 'Yeah- I beat him. Lollipop?' 'What do you think your name is- Rio?' 'No- Rio's in the trench coat. I'm not thick- I saw her get in the taxi at the base.'

'Sorry.' 'If you'd have asked me, it would have saved on taxi fees- I would have agreed. Only on the basis that you'd never stop pestering me otherwise.' 'When can I go home properly?' 'Two weeks yet- that's not changed. Trust me Rio- I'm doing it for you.' 'I know.' Me and Akiza then hugged (first time for everything).

'Thanks for everything Akiza.' 'Thanks for getting me back into duelling. Blair, I'm after your World Number 1 ranking.' 'You can want all you like- you're not getting.' 'You're getting cocky.' 'Arena tomorrow Akiza, you and me- 1-1.' 'Sure- it's my day off.' 'I look forward to that.'

Lukas then came out for his duel. 'The following is a Second-Round duel in the Cardiff Super Special. Introducing first, representing Black Rose Inc., from the Bishop and Clerk Islands, Tasmania, Australia, he is the Cursed Thorn- Lukas Chipperfield.' Lukas came straight out, and just looked up at Akiza, before walking down, with Tee watching him.

Kenta then came out, with Jaden. 'And his opponent, from the Orient, this is Kenta Kobayashi.' Kenta came out in some sort of weird tribal walk, before slowly clomping his way down to the duelling zone. When he got there, he took off his jacket, as did Lukas, and they activated their duel disks.

Cardiff Super Special: [40] Kenta Kobayashi LP:4000 vs. [16] Lukas Chipperfield LP:4000

Turn 1- Kenta- 'I will start. I draw. I summon Raidraptor - Vanishing Lanius (Atk:1300). I now activate it's ability, because it was Normal or Special summoned. I summon another Raidraptor from my hand, as long as it is Level 4 or below. I summon another Vanishing Lanius (Def.:1600). I activate the second one's ability, bringing out a third Vanishing Lanius (Atk:1300).'

'I now overlay 3 Level 4 Vanishing Lanius to build the overlay network, and summon out Raidraptor- Rise Falcon (Def.:2000).' 'Wow.' 'I end my turn with a face-down.'

Lukas- 'I draw. I summon out Cyber Dragon. I can do this because you have a monster on your field and I do not (Atk:2100). Next, I activate Star Blast, letting me pay 500 Life points to reduce the Level of the other Cyber Dragon in my hand by one. I now Normal summon Cyber Dragon (Atk:2100, Lukas LP:4000-3500).'

'I now activate Star Light, Star Bright. This makes my weaker Cyber Dragon Level 5 again (Level:4-5). I now activate the magic of Tannhäuser Gate, which lets me merge the Levels of my monsters (Level:5-10)x2. I now overlay my two Level 10 monsters to build the overlay network!'

The ground then shook, which woke Maddy up from another nap. 'What goes on here?' 'Search me Kenta- I don't like it though.' 'You shouldn't do. Meet the ultimate heavy machine. Appear Number 81- Superdreadnought Rail Cannon Superior Dora (Atk:3200).' 'Akiza, where did he get that?'

'Appeared to him after a dream apparently- he's had it a few weeks. I thought he was bringing out Galaxy Destroyer there.' 'That would have been a good choice- 5000 Attack points, and the ability to destroy Kenta's face-down. Anyway- he knows what he's doing.' 'How good is Kenta's deck?' 'I don't know- this is a brand new deck. He used a Winged-Beast deck when he was last on the tour.'

'Did he ever become World Number 1?' 'No- never made it past Number 7 in the world.' 'Dad, are you gonna shave that bloody beard off soon?' 'When something good happens, I'll get rid of it- dunno what I'm waiting for exactly, but I'm waiting for something.' 'Hopefully it happens soon then.'

'Number 81, attack Rise Falcon.' 'I activate my face-down- Raidraptor – Resistance. This doubles the Defence points of my monster, because it's a Raidraptor, and your monster has 3000 or more Attack points.' Number 81 then shot at Rise Falcon (Def.2000-4000), and the shots bounced off, pelting Lukas (Lukas LP:3500-2700).

'I end my turn with that. Your go.'

Kenta- 'I draw. Card activate- Rank-up Magic Revolution Force. This ranks up my monster. Go- Rank-up Xyz Evolution. I summon out Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon (Atk:1000). Now card activate- Rank-up Magic Revolution Force again. This ranks up my monster again. Go- Rank-up Xyz Evolution!'

'I summon out my ultimate ace monster- Raidraptor – Revolution Falcon (Atk:2000). I now activate it's ability- because it was summoned by ranking up another Raidraptor monster, I can destroy a monster that was Special summoned, and then you take damage equal to half of it's Attack points. Say goodbye to Number 81.'

Revolution Falcon shot blasts of darkness out of it's ports, obliterating Number 81, and sending Lukas flying head-over-heels (Lukas LP:2700-1100). 'Revolution Falcon, finish him off.' 'Not a chance. I activate the Trap known as Emergence of the Final Hope! I can only activate this from my hand, and only when I have no monsters on the field, and your attack would make my Life points 0. I draw 5 cards, and then you have to pick one of them. If it's a monster, I can summon it out in Attack mode, and they have to battle. All Battle damage is doubled, but monsters can't be destroyed by that attack If it's a Spell or a Trap, I take 4000 points of damage.'

Lukas then drew 5 cards. 'Can you see what he's got Dad?' 'From the looks of things, he's drawn Jumbo Drill, Ally of Justice Unilimiter, Rank-up Magic Black Thorn, Special Schedule, and Ally of Justice Cosmic Gateway. Anything apart from Jumbo Drill or Cosmic Gateway will see him lose.'

'I choose the far right.' 'I summon out Ally of Justice Cosmic Gateway (Atk:2400). Now Gateway, fire away with _Cosmic Chaos!' _Cosmic Gateway absorbed the attack from Revolution Falcon, and fired a massive burst of light back, enveloping Revolution Falcon, and dealing Kenta some damage (Kenta LP:4000-3200).

'I end my turn. I'll have you next turn.'

Lukas- 'There won't be a next turn for you. There will be no mercy on insolent fools who fail to fall in line. I draw. I activate Special Schedule, letting me summon a Machine with 3000 or more Attack points, but it's summoned in Defence mode and I can't change it's Battle position. Appear again Number 81- Superdreadnought Rail Cannon Superior Dora (Def.:4000).'

'What use is it in Defence mode?' 'I now activate a new card- Rank-up Magic Black Thorn!' 'Donna mentioned that she was working on something for you Akiza.' 'Finally delivered it this morning. She's been really run off of her feet recently.' 'I'm gonna be busy for a while tomorrow.' 'Why?' 'Taylor, Ashley and Kelly are moving into the base tomorrow.' 'How long for?' 'For good- Kelly's sold her second home in Palm Beach. She's still got her one in Fort Worth though as a base when she's touring America. It was all her idea apparently- wanted to be closer to me after what happened with Hannah.'

'How are we gonna fit them in?' 'Taylor and Ashley will share the spare bedroom, and Kelly's volunteered to move in with Rio while she's here. Then when Rio comes back home, she'll have the room to herself.' 'I thought Rio was in the spare bedroom?' 'There's two- one on each side. The one Rio's in was supposed to be Astrid's room originally, but plans changed, so it's all good. Just to check Rio- you're ok with Kelly moving in with you?' 'Sure- why not.'

'With this card, I can rank up my monster. Go- Blooming Xyz Evolution! I summon Chaos Number 81- Ultradreadnought Rail Cannon Dora Ultima (Atk:4300). By the way, the effect of Cursed Thorn deals you with 600 points of damage if you try and stop my monster's ability or Attack.'

'I now activate it's ability- by detaching 2 Chaos Overlay Units, it may destroy an Xyz monster of a lower Rank than itself, and then you lose Life points equal to the difference in Ranks x 300.' Number C81 took aim at Revolution Falcon, and blasted it out of the sky with a massive cannonball, destroying it (Kenta LP:3200-1700).

'Chaos Number 81, finish him off with _Dreadnought Cannon Crusher!__' _Number C81 smashed it's cannon into Kenta, ending the duel (Kenta LP:1700-0000). After the duel, Lukas and Tee just came straight back up to us, giving us chance to ask them about the remaining part of the legend.

'Hey- what's up?' 'Hi Lukas- we were wondering if you two could work something out- we've got some sort of legend here, and it's speaking in riddles.' 'You've come to the right people- just give us a few minutes.' 'Ok, thanks.' They then left, and I went to have a bite to eat.

When I got back, the draw for the Quarter-Finals was complete. The draw was:

[10] Akiza Izinski vs. [24] Jaden Yuki

[19] Eagle Adams vs. [21] Commander Koda

[24] Kieran Byrne vs. [16] Lukas Chipperfield

[102] Spica vs. [14] Phil Robinson-Cummings

My duel was first up. 'What deck are you using Dad?' 'Ancient Cyber.' 'Never heard of it.' 'I used it against you- it's a fusion of Ancient Gear and Cyber. I suppose I had better be off then.' 'Good luck Dad.' 'Mads- why would I need luck when I have you lot?' 'That's the spirit Dad.' I then left.

On the way to the duelling zone, I was stopped by someone. 'Can I have a word a moment please.' 'Sure. Hang on- don't I recognise you?' 'Yeah- I'm Leah- Leah Grace. I was Hannah's adoptive Mum.' 'I'm so sorry about what happened to Hannah.' 'It wasn't your fault. She'd messaged me a couple of weeks beforehand telling me how happy she was with you. I just wanted to thank you for making Hannah happy- after all she'd been through, you were still there for her.'

'Thanks. It'd be helpful if everyone thought that way.' 'Damien wants to look like the big man- I know what he did. In fact, I did report him to the police 6 years ago. They had insufficient evidence though, so they didn't try for a conviction. When's the funeral if I may ask?'

'New Year's Eve. I know where you live, so I'll send you a letter talking you through the arrangements in the next few days.' 'Thank you so much. If you ever need to talk to anyone, just come over- we know you're not responsible for her death. You would have done everything you could to save her, and more.'

'Oh, I did alright. It didn't work though, did it?' 'You did everything you could for her. You need to put your focus into Maddy now- she needs you more than ever at the moment.' 'You're right. I can't spend the rest of my life self-pitying.' 'Thank you. Trust me- what happened was not your fault. You are a good man.' After that nice little chat, I went off for my duel, digesting what had just been said.

Point of View- Maddy

Spica came out first, with Vector back by her side, but heavily bandaged up after I injured him, in his human form. 'The following is a Cardiff Super Special Quarter-Final. Introducing first, from Barian World, she is Spica.' Spica came straight down, and Vector just stared me down.

Dad's music then hit, as he came out, with Kris. 'Introducing her opponent, representing the Renegades, and accompanied by Kris Travison, from the M18 District of Manchester, England, he is The World's Most Dangerous Man- Phil Robinson-Cummings.' Dad came straight down, with Kris, and they both did the Renegades salute simultaneously. They then both came stamping down to the duelling zone in exactly the same way. When they got to the duelling zone, they took off their sunglasses together, and Phil activated his duel disk, as did Spica. The trash talking then began.

"Go home Phil- there's only one star around here, and that's the new Barian Empress- Spica." 'Spica, the only way you're going to be a star tonight is if you're shot out of a cannon. Let's duel so I can beat you.'

Cardiff Super Special Quarter-Final: [102] Spica LP:4000 vs. [14] Phil Robinson-Cummings LP:4000

Turn 1- Phil- 'I'm starting. I play a monster face-down in Defence mode and end my turn with a face-down.'

Turn 2- Spica- "I draw. I summon out Master Kyonshee (Atk:1750). Next, I activate Unholy Chant. That allows me to summon out another Kyonshee from my hand (Atk:1750). Kyonshee, attack his face-down monster." Master Kyonshee kicked Dad's face-down monster (Ancient Gear Soldier Def.:1300), destroying it.

'I activate my face-down- the Continuous Spell called Machina Armoured Unit. When a Machine-type monster I control is destroyed by battle, I can summon out one of the same attribute but lower Attack from my deck. I summon out the mystical Ancient Gear Box (Def.:2000).'

"I'll place two cards face-down and end my turn."

Phil- 'I draw. I tribute Ancient Gear Box to summon out Ancient Gear Beast (Atk:2000). Ancient Gear Beast, destroy Master Kyonshee with _Mechanised Mauling.' _Ancient Gear Beast mauled Master Kyonshee with it's fangs, destroying it (Spica LP:4000-3750). 'If you liked that, you'll love my face-down.'

Spica- "I draw. I switch Kyonshee to Defence mode (Def.:1000), and play a monster face-down to end my turn."

Phil- 'I draw. I activate the Continuous Spell Ancient Gear Castle. It gives my Ancient Gear monsters 300 more Attack points (Atk:2000-2300). In addition, when a monster is summoned, I can give my Castle an Ancient Gear counter. When I tribute summon an Ancient Gear monster, I can tribute my Castle instead, if the number of counters is equal to or more than the amount of tributes required.'

'Let's see- Ancient Gear Beast, destroy Master Kyonshee with _Mechanised Mauling.' _Beast destroyed the second Kyonshee, making Spica annoyed. "You'll pay for that." 'Come into my parlour said the angry man to the ugly, talentless Barian. By the way, I'm talking about you Vector.' "You're mistaken- you're the ugly and talentless one." 'You wish.'

Spica- "I draw. I summon out Pain Painter (Atk:400). Next, I activate Undead March, letting me summon out Mezuki (Atk:1700). I now flip Pyramid Turtle face-up (Atk:1400). I now activate the ability of Pain Painter, reducing the Levels of all Zombies on my field to 2 (Mezuki Level:4-2, PT Level:4-2)."

"I now tune my Level 2 Pain Painter with Level 2 Mezuki and Level 2 Pyramid Turtle. These 3 monsters become 1- become your doom. All for the glory of Barian world, as I summon out Doomkaiser Dragon (Atk:2400). Doomkaiser, destroy his Beast with _Doomkaiser's Flare."_

Doomkaiser Dragon suffocated Dad's Ancient Gear Beast with toxic breath, destroying it (Phil LP:4000-3900). 'Thanks to Machina Armoured Unit, I can summon out Ancient Gear Cannon (Atk:500). "I end my turn."

Phil- 'I draw. I summon Ancient Gear (Atk:100). I now activate the magic of Spell Gear!' 'Go Dad!' 'What does Spell Gear do Maddy?' 'Glad you asked Blair. It lets Dad send 3 Ancient Gear cards from his field to his graveyard and summon out an Ancient Gear Golem from his hand. Then, he can search his deck for another Golem, and summon that out as well. The only catch is that he can't summon another monster now until the end of his next turn.' 'How do you know?' 'Me and Jodi duelled him in the Arena a couple of days ago in a Handicap gauntlet to test out the machinery in the Arena.' 'And...' 'And he beat us- he only just beat Jodi though. He absolutely creamed me.'

'I tribute Ancient Gear, my Castle, and my Cannon to summon out two Ancient Gear Golems (Atk:3000)x2. Now normally, I'd have to destroy all my other monsters. Sadly for you, I just tributed both my monsters, so it's a win-win situation. I think that I'll turn your Dragon to dust with Ancient Gear Golem. Attack with _Mechanised Melee!'_

Ancient Gear Golem punched Doomkaiser Dragon, as Spica was desperately trying to activate her face-down, to no avail. 'Oh, I must have forgotten to mention my monster's ability.' "I know it can deal piercing damage." 'No- the other ability. It's immune to Spells and Traps that target it.' Gear Golem then punched Doomkaiser Dragon (Spica LP:3750-3150).

'Gear Golem number 2, attack Spica directly with _Mechanised Melee!' _The second Gear Golem slammed it's fist into Spica, knocking her flat on her back (Spica LP:3150-150). Spica looked to be unconscious. After a couple of minutes, Dad ordered Kris to get a couple of chairs. They then sat down, and simultaneously yawned.

An official then came out. 'Spica, you have 30 seconds to respond, otherwise you will be disqualified.' The 30 second clock then appeared on the screen as Vector tried to get Spica back up to her feet. On 28 seconds, Spica got back to her feet, but looked very unsteady.

Dad then got out of his chair, as did Kris. 'I end my turn. I'll destroy you next turn.' His eyes then went completely dark, like Mum's used to do. "Spica, I think we should withdraw- live to fight another day." "Good idea." Spica and Vector then ran away, as the 30 count began again. They didn't come back.

'Your winner as a result of a TKO- Phil Robinson-Cummings.' Dad just looked up at me, and smiled, before fist-bumping Kris. They then entertained the crowd by demonstrating Kris' job as a stunt double. He then grabbed a mic. 'H.R.C, I know you can hear me. Hell- you can hear everything and everyone it seems. You know everything about me, and I wanna know some stuff about you. Listen to this though- I wanna show you just who I am. At the Feast of Fools, I'm issuing an open challenge- to anyone who thinks that they can beat me. You win, you get a shot at the Canadian Tag-Team titles.'

H.R.C then appeared on the big screen. 'Why are you withholding information from us? Are you scared?' 'Scared, no. I have my reasons- they will become obvious. I like your spark.' 'I like... your face.' 'You can't see my face.' 'I know that- I was being sarcastic. Why not just reveal yourself?' 'It's the thrill of the chase. It... excites me no end.'

'You're a crazy chick, you know that? You're flying too close to the fire. Be careful you don't get burned.' 'Don't worry- Water doesn't get burned.' 'Don't get me wrong- I like crazy chicks. But I also like getting my own way- so reveal yourself please.' 'No.' 'Pretty please? With sugar on top?' 'No.'

'Alright- I'm done asking nicely now. I tried being tactful and nice, but it didn't work. So I'll slip back into not very nice mode- rude mode. Reveal yourself before I come and hunt you down and tear you limb from limb.' 'No- I will be revealed at the Feast of Fools.' 'I don't like waiting.'

'You'll have to learn.' 'Why though? What's there to hide?' 'I will confirm that Havok and Annabel and Emily and Blair and Maddy- their messages were all from me. I possessed Blair to attack Rhydian in his dressing room in Denmark. And I possessed Maddy to savage Spica in Sweden. And when Havok gave you a warning at the base, that was also me. As was Annabel and Emily in the hotel last week. It was all me.'

'Why?' 'To get your attention. You let me down and I want my revenge.' 'How did I let you down?' 'You deserted me when I needed you most- you ran away like the coward you are.' 'I'm sorry if I did that. I'm not that coward now though.' 'You are- you always were and you always will be that same old coward. Trust me- I know you better than almost anyone else.'

'How's that eh?' 'Think about it- you'd work it out if you were as clever as you claimed that you were.' 'Give me a clue?' 'Sorry- this isn't a game. Not for you anyway- you're just a mere pawn in my game, just like all the Renegades are mere pawns in your little game of world domination.'

'This was a nice chat. Now I'm getting rather cross.' 'Oh dear. Typical you isn't it- getting annoyed over the slightest thing, losing your temper too much, it's well documented how you can't keep your temper under control. Is that what happened with Hannah?' 'Don't bring her into it.'

'Did she say something wrong? Did she get on your nerves by not being an obedient little puppet like your daughter and everyone else? Did you decide to trade her in for a better model? Or did you trade her in for an actual model? Nonetheless- at the Feast of Fools, H.R.C- I'm coming.'

H.R.C. then went off of the big screen, leaving us speechless. Dad looked defiant though. 'Believe what you want to- I believe that those things were said purely to get at me. I'm not letting that happen- not anymore. Now I'm stronger- mentally rather than physically. I know who I am and I know that I do what I do because I see it as the right thing to do. M18 4 Ever.' He then gave the 4 finger salute, and came back up.

'You ok Dad?' 'I'm fine- you ok Maddy. I'm more worried about you lot after that- some pretty rough things were said there.' 'We're fine.' 'Phil, can I have a hug?' 'Blair, you can have all the hugs you need- hugs are free still.' As they hugged, a couple of tears came from Dad. 'I'm so proud of all of you- I hope you know that. I'm coming back to lead the Renegades again next week, and Maddy's going to be assisting me. I hope I'm welcome back after the amazing job Maddy's done.'

'Phil, we'd love you to come back. We can see how stressful the job is for Maddy, and we can see that she needs assistance. You coming back will be brilliant, especially for her.' 'They're right- I can't handle it much longer. I wasn't ready for it full-time. I can't handle the pressure mentally yet. Maybe in the future.' 'I understand Maddy- I just wanted to see how you could handle it now. You exceeded all of my expectations.' 'Thanks Dad.'

Me and Dad then left. 'Where are you going Dad?' 'To see N.' When we got to a secluded corridor, we did that. 'N, we need to talk.' He then appeared, in all of his pomp and circumstance. 'How may I help you?' 'I want to know how to go about speaking to Hannah.' 'I cannot help you with that- she still has not returned to where she should be.'

'I can see that, because she's not alive.' 'You know exactly what I mean.' 'Weren't you supposed to be updating us?' 'I was, but I have been incredibly busy of late.' 'As have I. If I can't have a meeting with Hannah, I want one with Icaron himself.' 'I cannot veto that, I am not a high enough rank. And you don't demand a meeting with Icaron- he makes his meetings himself.'

N then vanished, and in his place was a figure with a black body, and long, straggly red hair. 'May I ask your name?' 'You should recognise me Mr. Robinson. My name is Icaron, and I am the lord that you hail.' 'You're the lord that I want a little talk with.' 'Ask me whatever you like, and I will give you honest replies.'

'First question: Why did Energy Merge not work when I was trying to save Hannah?' 'The Barian Nash blocked the power lines, and I could not unblock them as I was busy defending against Don Thousand.' 'Was it really Hannah's time to die?' 'No- that is why I have not come to you sooner. I was trying to find out why it happened.'

'And...' 'And I have been unable to find a definitive answer. The best I can come up with is that her destiny was changed by Birchall somehow.' 'I thought you were supposed to know these things.' 'I am, but I don't know this.' 'Is there any way Hannah can be revived?' 'There is, but by the time I'd found it, Hannah had vanished from Limbo. I am unable to trace her.'

'Unable to trace her?' 'Yes- I have no idea why. The situation is... how do I put this- bugging me.' 'It's bugging you? She was my wife!' 'You have every reason to be annoyed at me. I'm not going to shout the odds back, because I know that you have a very good reason to be annoyed.'

'You're at least respectful. Another question- why are you even here?' 'Communication is important- I cannot expect you to hail me if you do not know what you're hailing. For the record, I am very proud of all of you. I have one question- for Maddy.' 'What've you gotta ask me?' 'Why did you choose to hail me?'

'He brainwashed me. And I wanted to see what it was like having someone respectable to answer to. Why did you choose Dad?' 'He has the most noble of hearts. And true to his word, he has chosen noble hearts to go with him.' 'Did you come up with the Renegades name?' 'I cannot claim credit for that- that was your Mum and Dad.'

'Do you support the wolfblood race? Bearing in mind Dad can probably tell if you're lying.' 'I promised to be honest, and I will. I did not believe originally that bringing a wolfblood into the club was a good idea- I thought it would just be a disaster. But I was- for the third time- completely wrong.'

'Third time?' 'Yes- I was also wrong about Hannah and Tee.' 'Tee?' 'Yes- I didn't think she had what it took. She proved me wrong, and I accept that. Ditto Hannah- I felt she was damaged goods, and you would never be able to fix her. But you did that, and she fulfilled her potential.'

'N mentioned how Hannah's death seemed to affect you.' 'N had no right saying that, but he was right- it did affect me. I couldn't quite digest what had happened. I wish I could turn time back, but that is out of range of my powers- I cannot interfere with time, however much I would like to.'

Blair came up behind us then, with Rio. 'Are you Icaron?' 'Indeed I am Rio- I do believe we have met before.' 'So it wasn't just in my head then?' 'Sorry- what's this about?' 'While I was unconscious in hospital the first time, Icaron came to me- he told me that it wasn't my time to go. He tried to save Hannah, but Don Thousand's power was blocking him from doing that. For some reason, Don Thousand evidently wanted me to be alive still.'

'Is there anything anyone would like to ask me now?' 'I'm guessing you've been through what happened to Hannah, so why did you choose us out of everyone in the world?' 'I didn't choose you- Phil chose you. I just gave him the power to get you to join.' 'Oh right. What input do you have?' 'None- he told me what he wanted to do, and why, and I gave him the power to do that.'

'What was the aim then?' 'To save the wolfblood race, no matter what the personal cost. He wanted to create a revolution that would change the way the world saw people who are... how do I put this- different.' 'So you did all of this for our race?' 'Yeah. I trecked to the frozen wastes of furthest northern Iceland just to find the tomb.'

'If there is no more questions, I shall leave.' 'Ok, that's all good. Thank you for coming.' 'Thank you for hearing me out. If there is anything else, I will strive to get the information to you.' 'Thank you Icaron. Me and Dad really appreciate that you've tried to find us answers.' 'I promise you- we will meet again.'

Icaron then vanished, just as Akiza turned up. 'Hi guys.' 'Hi- we've just been speaking to Icaron himself.' 'Did he give you answers?' 'He told us what he knows- he doesn't have all the answers though. How's your duel gone?' 'I won- by 1500 Life points. Jaden's tough.' 'But you've never lost against him.' 'I have- Gortonia 2007. He beat me by 400 Life points.'

'Oh yeah, forgot about that. How's Lukas doing?' 'He's just started his duel with Kieran. He's facing you if he wins.' 'Nice.' 'I'm going to repackage Black Rose Inc.- into more rough and ready types.' 'If you want, I can get Brooke to make Tee a facemask-type thing- I think she'd suit it.'

'How much would it cost?' 'Nothing- me and Brooke have a contract. I pay her £25 a month as support for her business, and she provides us with whatever we need for free, up to £25 a month. We've not broken into this month's total yet. Get her to quote you a price first though- so you can decide exactly what to do.'

'Thanks.' We then got back to the arena. When we did, Lukas was just using Gustav Max to finish sweeping aside Kieran by 2900 Life points. Sadly, we were too busy running Brooke through what Akiza wanted to focus on Eagle Adams' 1000 Life point win over Commander Koda. So soon, it was time for the first semi- Dad and Lukas.

Before the duel, I caught up with Dad. 'You ready Dad?' 'Yeah- just need to calm myself down.' 'Drink?' 'Tah Mads.' 'Is there anything else I can help you with?' 'No thanks- I just need to prepare myself mentally. Hannah, boy could I do with you right now.' Just then, Mum's spirit emerged out of a shining atom that suddenly appeared.

'Hannah, is that you?' 'You needed me, and I'm here. I made a vow, and even in death I'm keeping it- I will never leave your side. I'm not with you in body, and I hate that. I'm with you in spirit though, and that's the next best thing. You're fighting for what you were always fighting for- the Renegades. You're fighting to make a difference to the world. Even though you're up against another one of us, you want to put on a show for everyone else. I love you, and my vow will never break- I'm with you forever, never leaving. Whenever you need me, I'm there.' 'Love you Hannah.' 'Love you forever Phil. M18 4 Ever.' 'M18 4 Ever.' 'I love you too Maddy.' 'And you Mum.'

She then disappeared. 'You feeling any better?' 'Yeah- I've got my head in the game now. Let's go Maddy- we've got a show to put on.' 'That's the spirit Dad.' 'Thanks- I know.' After that, we went down to the duelling zone for his duel with Lukas- part 2.

Point of View- Blair

I was doing the announcing (Tee was with Lukas, and Isabella hadn't come because she had a throat infection). Lukas was first out, with Tee. Tee was wearing a red bandanna as a face-mask, and had her hood up as well, while Lukas was wearing a backwards bandanna on his head and had his shirt off to reveal his new tattoo of a red rose on his left breast.

Lukas just stared up at the crowd, before Tee led him to the duelling zone. 'The following duel is the first semi-final in the Cardiff Super Special. Introducing first, accompanied by the Night Flower Tee Taylor, representing Black Rose Inc., and the Renegades, from the Bishop and Clerk Islands, Tasmania, Australia, he is the Cursed Rose- Lukas Chipperfield.'

As soon as he got to the duelling zone, Tee grabbed a mic. 'We are Black Rose Inc., and we mean business- we are not nice people. Hate us- we hate you.' Just then, the M18 Connection music hit, and Phil came down the stairs, with Maddy. 'Introducing their opponents, accompanied by Maddy Robinson-Cummings, representing the M18 Connection, from the M18 district of Manchester, England, he is The World's Most Dangerous Man- Phil Robinson-Cummings!'

Phil came down, with Maddy. When they got to the bottom of the stairs, Kris and Mildred appeared, and followed them down to the duelling zone, where the 4 of them posed. Before the duel, Tee and Maddy shook hands, as did Phil and Lukas, and Kris shook hands with Mildred, so they didn't feel left out, which made the crowd laugh. Phil then grabbed a mic.

'Lukas, you beat me a few weeks ago. It may have dented my pride a bit- I underestimated you a little. This time though, I'm going full force- you're good kids you two, and I like you both. That makes me want to beat you even more though. Lukas, let's dance.' The two of them activated their duel disks, and started the duel, after Phil ripped his shirt off.

Cardiff Super Special Semi-Final: [16] Lukas Chipperfield vs. [14] Phil Robinson-Cummings

Turn 1- Phil- 'I'll take the first turn. I summon out Ancient Gear Cannon (Atk:500). It's not staying though, because I'm activating it's special ability, tributing it to deal you with 500 points of damage.' Ancient Gear Cannon's gears went overboard, and it started firing at Lukas randomly (Lukas LP:4000-3500).'

'I'll end my turn with that.' 'Wierd move.' 'You know what they say- come and get me, if you think you're hard enough.'

Lukas- 'Happily. I draw. I summon out Patroid (Atk:1200). Next, I activate Tactical Retreat. With this, when a monster attacks, it can switch itself to Defence mode afterwards. Patroid, dish out some rough justice.' 'I activate the ability of the Battle Fader in my hand. When you declare an attack while I don't control a monster, it can summon itself out, and the bell tolls for the end of the Battle Phase.'

Battle Fader then came out (Def.:0000), and it's bell tolled, stopping Patroid's attack. 'I now switch Patroid to Defence mode (Def.:1200), and end my turn with 4 face-downs.'

Phil- 'I draw. I activate the Field spell Geartown.' The whole field changed to look like a factory with gears everywhere. 'I now activate it's effect, letting me tribute Battle Fader to summon out Ancient Gear Golem (Atk:3000). Golem, turn Patroid into scrap with _Mechanised Melee!' _

Golem punched Patroid, destroying it, and dealing major damage to Lukas (Lukas LP:3500-1700). 'I forgot about Gear Golem's ability.' 'I now use your Spell to switch Gear Golem to Defence mode (Def.:3000), and end my turn with a face-down.'

Lukas- 'I draw. I activate Sacred Sword of Seven Stars.' 'I've heard of it but never seen it.' 'It lets me banish the Level 7 Dark Armed Dragon to draw two cards. I now activate Pot of Greed, letting me draw another two cards. I'll use Vehicroid Connection Zone now. This lets me fuse together Submarineroid, Steamroid, and Drillroid, to create the Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill (Atk:3000).'

'By the way, a monster summoned with Connection Zone is invincible to card effects. So in that case, I'll activate my face-down- Limiter Removal. This doubles the Attack points of my monster for the rest of the turn (Atk:3000-6000). Also, you can probably guess what my monster's ability is.'

'Considering it's a massive drill, I think I can.' 'Open wide Ancient Gear Golem, because the Jumbo Drill dentist is open for business.' Jumbo Drill drilled into Golem, which for some reason wasn't destroyed (Phil LP:4000-2500). 'Just before your attack hit me, I activated Half Unbreak, protecting my monster from harm, and halving the damage.'

'I think I'll end my turn with a face-down. Normally my monster would be destroyed due to Limiter Removal, but Vehicroid Connection Zone puts pay to that (Atk:6000-3000).'

Phil- 'My draw. I summon out Ancient Gear Beast (Atk:2000). I'll take out your Drill with my Gear Golem. Go- _Mechanised Melee!' _Golem punched Jumbo Drill, which pierced through the hand of Ancient Gear Golem, making masses of sparks fly, destroying both monsters. 'I activate Justice Reactor. Because you destroyed a monster of mine in battle, I can summon out an Ally of Justice monster with the same Level but fewer Attack points. I summon out Ally of Justice Thunder Armour (Atk:2700).'

'You can't Special summon Thunder Armour though- says so on the card.' 'Justice Reactor ignores summoning conditions. My monster can't attack though, so you don't need to panic too much yet.' 'I'm always on edge. I end my turn with a face-down.'

Lukas- 'I draw. I activate Rank-up Magic Renegades Unite!' 'I didn't know you had that.' 'Tee gave it to me.' 'I forgot I'd given her a copy.' 'This lets me summon out any Xyz monster I like. And I know just the one. Appear in all your glory Number 89- Utopia Dragon (Atk:4000).'

'Finish him Lukas.' 'I intend on doing. I now rank it up. Go- Chaos Xyz Evolution! I summon out Chaos Number 89- Utopia Lightning Dragon (Atk:4500).' 'Nice.' 'I now activate the ability of Chaos Number 89. By detaching all of it's Chaos Overlay Units, I can summon out any Number I like from my Graveyard. You then get to draw a card though, as long as you disclose it. I summon out Number 89- Utopia Dragon (Atk:4000).'

Dad then drew his card. 'Lucky draw.' 'Why? What did you draw?' 'Infinity Purge.' 'Oh hell. I'd better finish you off now. Number C89, destroy Ancient Gear Beast.' 'Not so fast- I activate No Entry. This switches all monsters on the field to Defence mode (AGB Def.:2000, Number 89 Def.:2000, Number C89 Def.:2200).'

'I end my turn with a face-down.'

Phil- 'I draw. I activate Shield Crush, to destroy Ancient Gear Beast.' A green light then shot through Beast, turning it into scrap pieces. 'Now and only now can I activate Infinity Purge.' 'Of course- he can only activate it with no monsters on the field.' 'Go Dad!' 'This lets me summon two Level 8 monsters from my deck with their abilities negated. I summon out two more Ancient Gear Golems (Atk:3000)x2.'

'What now?' 'I activate Lucky 12. This lets me pay 1200 Life points to make all monsters on the field Level 12.' A massive flame then torched Phil, who screamed in pain amazingly (Phil LP:2500-1300). 'Maddy, let's get ready to howl!' They then howled together, and Phil roared.

'I overlay my two Level 12 monsters to build the overlay network. You know full well what's hiding in the DNA of majestic creatures of the night. You're about to experience it though, first hand. I summon out the wonder of Number 83- Maddy, the Legendary Wolfblood (Atk:4000).'

'I now activate Banishment of the Mighty Beast. With this, because I control Number 83, I can banish Miracle Wolf from my deck, and discard one card from my hand, and then Number 83 gains it's effects. Not that I'll need them at the moment.' 'Bring it on.' 'Ok then- I activate White Veil.' Number 83 then started shining blindingly.

'Now attack Thunder Armour with _Maddy's Claw Mauler!' _Number 83 leapt up into the air, and as Lukas was trying to activate his face-down, it crunched down onto Thunder Armour, ripping it to pieces, and sending Lukas sliding back towards the wall (Lukas LP:1700-400). 'Sorry, forgot to tell you what White Veil does, silly me. What White Veil does is stop you from activating Spells or Traps when the equipped monster attacks.'

'What do I do now then?' 'Watch me end my turn.'

Lukas- 'I draw. I activate Pot of Avarice, letting me return 5 cards from my graveyard to my deck, shuffle the deck, and draw 2 new cards. I draw. I activate Card of Demise, letting me draw 5 cards, as long as I discard my entire hand in 5 turns. I activate Power Bond, fusing together Drillroid, Jetroid, Cycroid, Rescueroid, and UFOroid to summon out the ultimate roid monster. Appear Barbaroid- the Ultimate Battle Machine (Atk:4000-8000).'

'Barbaroid, finish him off once and for all.' Barbaroid came steaming in, and shatterred Number 83, throwing Phil back (Phil LP:1300). 'Sorry Lukas- I'm still here. I activated the ability of the Bacon Saver in my graveyard. By banishing it, I took no damage.' 'How did you get that in your graveyard?' 'It's simple really- when I activated Banishment of the Mighty Beast. I discarded Bacon Saver.'

'You lucky little sod.' 'There's more- you've not seen my face-down yet. I activate the Spell Revenge Prison. This revives Number 83 because she was destroyed this turn (Atk:4000). Next, I can rank her up. Go- Renegade Xyz Evolution! I summon out Number 83- Maddy, the Raging Wild Wolfblood (Atk:5500).'

'No way- that's the most powerful monster I've ever faced. It's not as good as my Barbaroid though.' 'Yes, but you're forgetting about Power Bond's secondary effect. When you end your turn, you're saying goodbye to 4000 Life points.' 'I end my turn.' Power Bond then activated it's other ability, but Lukas was prepared.

'I'll protect myself with Take-Over Damage. This reduces the damage I take to zero, and then becomes an overlay unit for Number C89.'

Phil- 'M18 Miracle Draw! I activate Rank-up Magic Wild Evolution! This lets me rank Number 83 up one more time. Go- Renegades Xyz Evolution!' Maddy was then coated in a harsh light, as she accessed more primal powers. 'Gods who smile upon this race, lend us your infinite power, give us victory over those who stand against us. I summon out a Rank 14 monster. Meet Number 83- Maddy, the Primal Wolfblood Queen (Atk:6750).'

'Oh my god.' Lukas didn't say anything though, he was too stunned. 'I now activate Xyz Unit, giving Number 83 2800 more Attack points (Atk:6750-9550). Lukas, you fought well, but not well enough. Maddy, finish this off with _Primal Storm!' _'This isn't over yet- I activate Desperate Guard. By halving my Life points, I can end the Battle phase.'

Lukas then screamed in pain himself (Lukas LP:400-200), and a massive shield stopped Number 83's attack. 'I activate the ability of Number 83. By detaching one Overlay unit, it can destroy the monster on your field with the lowest Attack stat. And that monster cannot be summoned from the graveyard for the rest of the duel. Say farewell to Number 89.'

Number 89 was ripped to shreds by Number 83, destroying it. 'Now I end my turn.'

Lukas- 'I draw. I activate Card of Sanctity, letting us both draw until we have 6 cards in our hands. I now end my turn with 3 face-downs.'

Phil- 'I draw. I end my turn with 5 face-downs.'

Lukas- 'I draw. I end my turn like that.'

Phil- 'I draw. This is the last turn Lukas. Number 83, attack Barbaroid!' 'I activate Fiery Fervor. This doubles the Attack of my monster (Atk:8000-16000). Now take him out.' 'I activate my own Fiery Fervor (Atk:9550-19100).' 'I activate Battle Fusion. This increases my monster's Attack points by the Attack stat of your monster.'

By now, Barbaroid and Maddy's wolf form were nearly bulging through the roof (Atk:16000-35100). Beat that.' 'Ok, I'll activate my own Battle Fusion. Open that roof!' The roof was then opened just in time, as Number 83 burst through it (Atk:19100-54200).' 'No way man- 54000? Maybe... just maybe...'

'You've lost?' 'No- maybe I'll activate Limiter Removal!' Barbaroid then grew to be about 40 foot tall (Atk:35100-70200). Goodbye.' 'I can't believe I lost to Lukas again- maybe... he's just something else. But maybe I'm something else as well. I activate Battle Fusion again!' Phil and Lukas just laughed, as Number 83 grew to about 60 foot tall- by now, they were fighting high into the atmosphere (Atk:54000-108000).'

'I activate my final card- one more Limiter Removal.' Barbaroid grew to over 80 foot (all backed up by everyone else), as it's Attack points grew further (Atk:70200-140400). Goodnight.' 'I'm sorry Lukas, but I'm the World Champion- losing ain't on my radar. I activate my last card- Battle Fusion. Time to put this to bed once and for all.'

Number 83 grew to be over 100 foot tall, only just missing an aeroplane (Atk:10800-248400). Lukas, you're brilliant- you're a Renegade. But at the very highest level, you take the hardest fall. Number 83, end this, but do it nicely.' Number 83 scratched Barbaroid, making it crash to the ground, and Lukas was flattened by the shockwave, which caused a ground tremor which we felt up in the stands (Lukas LP:200-0000).

After the duel, Tee helped Lukas up. Phil and Maddy then walked over to them. 'That makes it 1-1 then. See ya for the decider Lukas.' 'Any time, any place.' They then shook hands, as did Tee and Maddy. So of course Mildred and Kris had to join in, making the crowd cheer.

The 6 of them then came back up together. 'Wow- that was epic.' 'One of the best duels I've ever been involved in. I duelled an absolute blinder, and still nearly lost.' 'I was thrilled by my performance- I showed why I'm in the Top 16.' 'You certainly did Lukas.' 'Oh yeah- me and genius here worked out your riddle.'

'Go on.' 'Well it said about the skeleton army.' 'Yeah.' 'What do skeletons contain- bones. So that must be the Brave Bones if it's relating to Maddy, because they're the enemy. And as for the whole tree, we really struggled with that. Possibly Birchall, because he's all bark and no bite? We're not sure though.'

'Good thought Tee- thanks to both of you. Good job.' 'Thanks.' 'Thanks for the cards Maddy.' 'What's mine is yours and all of that stuff.' 'Yeah- I know- thanks Maddy. It's nice to see you wearing that hoodie again.' 'Thanks.' We were then interrupted by Nash and Girag coming out, with Dumon, but no Mizar.

'We're not here to chat- M18 Connection, get out here now.' 'You can talk to us from up here. I take it you're here to demand your title shot.' 'Yeah- Maddy's ban has been cancelled.' 'It has. Sadly, Maddy hasn't brought her deck with her because she was suspended.'

'When do we get our title shot then?' 'Belgrade in 4 days. You'll get a title shot then. It's your one and only handout from us- it's a little thank you from us for helping us out with our... how do I put this- joint issue. You earn the rest of them though.' 'Fine by us thanks- we'll only need one.'

'We'll see about that. Where's Mizar by the way- preparing to beg us?' 'He's back in Barian World with Alito- someone has to stand guard.' 'Interesting that- after the last tournament, he came up to us, and he practically begged me and Maddy to accept him into the Renegades.'

'Doesn't sound like Mizar.' 'We'll take a polygraph test if you want.' 'A what?' 'Girag, it's a lie detector. You can if you have one handy.' 'Sorry- we don't put lie detectors in our bags generally. We should start doing that from now on.' 'No funny business.' 'Not at all- see you there.'

Spica and Vector then came back out. "We want a title shot too." 'Spica, you ran away from me during our duel earlier. What makes you worthy?' Jordan James then came back out. 'I can sort this out, because the French Revolution have activated their rematch clause. So in Belgrade, we will have the M18 Connection defending the Canadian Tag-Team Titles against the French Connection, the Barian Alliance, and the North American Tag-Team Champions- Pipes of Doomsday. This will be a double title match.'

'Fine by us. M18 Connection, do you accept?' 'You can use our actual names Reginald. And yes- we accept. Trust me- if Maddy had her deck with her, we'd do this right now. See you in Belgrade baby.' 'How's Rio doing by the way?' 'She's out of hospital. You can visit her at our club base, but don't take the piss.' 'When she regains her senses, she'll be back with us.' 'Be careful what you say Nash- our base, not yours.'

They then stood down again, and Rio moved over to them. 'Trust me- as long as I'm in my right mind, I'll never leave the club. I don't feel safe with my brother- not like I am with you. I used to dream about us being together in a relationship. Now I realise that I just want you to still be my friend. Friend first, possibly relationship later.'

'Fine by me Rio.' 'Can I ask you something Rio.' 'Sure Maddy- anything.' 'If it was up to you, would you let Mizar in the club?' 'Absolutely not. Mizar's nice and all of that, but he'll try and get me to be purely Barian like the rest of them. I can't do that anymore- I refuse to.'

'Thanks- I just wanted to know I was making the right decision for all of us Rio. You know how much I value your opinion.' 'Thanks Maddy. You know why I attacked Kari earlier?' 'What she's been saying about you?' 'No- she disrespected you two. I was the one who organised the whole attack- everyone will back me up.'

'Oh, I believe you. You do realise that the only reason you've been allowed to stay here is because Akiza's in a good mood.' 'I know. Is it just me or is it freezing in here?' 'I've had an idea. Blair, I need you a moment.' 'What is it master?' 'Here's two quid, get Rio a hot chocolate will you? You can keep the change.' 'Thanks.'

When I came back, Rio seemed to be reading with Tee. 'What's going on?' 'Rio's still struggling with her reading skills- her brain's still damaged. So Tee's trying to give her some help. She wants to become a primary school teacher anyway, so it's good practise for her.'

'Should I give her the drink now?' 'She'll be over for a break in a few minutes- gives it time to cool down a bit.' 'Just between us three, will she ever recover fully?' 'You'd have to ask Akiza for a definitive answer. I would have thought so, but it'll take a very long time I suspect.' So I went to ask Akiza.

'Yeah- I suppose I always wanted to be some sort of doctor Belle. What do you wanna do?' 'Dunno- I suppose with being in jail and everything, I didn't really think about my future. I suppose I didn't really want a future.' 'Why did you join us then?' 'I decided that I wanted to try and make something of my life. Freja and Lydia came to me, and they explained who they were and why they were there. Their offer was too good to refuse.'

'I've gotta say- Belle was a lot easier to recruit than Lydia. She put up absolutely no fight- Lydia didn't want to join.' 'Sorry- can I interrupt a moment?' 'Course you can Blair.' 'Just wanted to ask Akiza a private question.' 'Sure- give me a moment.' 'It's ok- I wanna speak to Phil anyway.'

'What's up Blair? Is it about Rio?' 'Yeah- just wondering if she'll ever recover fully.' 'Not 100%, no. She should make a very good recovery, but she's got permanent brain damage- she's likely to have occasional blackouts and possibly fits. But she won't be too bad- she was very lucky. An inch to the right, and she would have been practically brain-dead.'

'I'm still amazed Phil managed to save her.' 'It's a miracle- all the medical machines were telling us that she was dead. She was clinically dead for about 4 hours, but she came back to life. Maybe it's the bond they share- maybe science doesn't have the answer to everything.'

'When's your semi-final?' 'I've got a bye through to the final- Eagle injured her knee earlier in the tournament, and the problem's flared up again. It's a pity- she's a good duellist.' 'Yeah. You think you're gonna beat Phil?' 'Hopefully- I'd like to win it. Phil deserves to win if he does though. Anyway, see you later.' 'Bye.'

I then got back to Phil and Maddy, who were still with Freja. 'So what do you say- striptease tonight?' 'Get Lydia on board, and we'll do it.' 'You want me on board Dad?' 'Nah- you need your sleep. You can do it next time.' 'Ok, sure. Why not get Astrid to join in?' 'Good idea.'

He then phoned her. 'Hi master.' 'Hi Astrid, just a quick chat.' 'What can I do for you?' 'Funny you should ask- come to my house this evening.' 'Sure.' 'You're going to be doing a striptease for me.' 'Yes master- I will obey your every command.' 'Good. We've got a little training session tomorrow, you and Blair. You'll learn our style of training.'

'Yes master.' 'I'll give you a top-up when I see you at the base, so make sure your hair's braided.' 'Of course- whatever you wish master. See you later.' 'Bye Astrid. I'll pick you up about 6.' 'Of course- I'll be ready. What do you want me to wear tommorow?' 'Anything loose fitting and revealing.' 'Understood.'

'So tomorrow, you're meeting us at our house at 11:45am on the dot.' 'Of course. Anything for my master.' 'Good. I'll see you there. We'll be stopping off for lunch on the way.' 'Thanks. How should I have my hair there?' 'I'll sort it out for you- you just come with your hair down. See you later.' 'Bye master.'

When he came off the phone, I came over to him. 'You want me there?' 'No thanks Blair- you can sit down now and I'll do your hair for you.' 'Of course.' While he was doing that, Rhydian came out, in a Renegades shirt. 'Kari Tsukumo get out here now you bitch.' Kari then came out, to no music, clutching at her ribs.

'What do you want Rhydian?' 'What I want is very simple- I want answers. What is your problem with Rio Kastle? Is it that she's so much better looking and more talented than you? Or is it the fact that she can beat the top duellists in the world without relying on Birchall's help?'

'If only you knew.' 'Why don't you just tell us?' 'Rio knows why, that's why she isn't here.' 'You know that's not true. Why are you talking yourself into a hole?' 'She hurt my brother, ok? Rio duelled my brother Yuma as part of the Barians a while back. She injured him during the duel, and he's never been the same since- he's a different person. She ripped out his heart, and she deserves to be destroyed.'

'Sounds like your brother just couldn't hack it. Sorry Kari, but it's true- you're making your brother sound like a loser.' 'Never call him that.' 'I didn't call him a loser- I said you're making him sound like one. Not my fault. If you want revenge though, you could always duel me in Belgrade.'

'Yeah- why not. I'd love to beat some sense into you.' ' You wish.' Akiza then interrupted. 'I've had a better idea guys. How about you two open the show, and the winner faces me for my title in the main event? I mean I'm not doing anything that day.' 'Good idea.' 'I'd go along with that.'

As Rhydian left, Kari went to attack him from behind, but she was cut off by Serotonin, who started beating down on her. I then stood up, and Serotonin saw me, and I raised my thumb, before giving them the thumbs down. They then lifted her up, and powered her down together.

They then took their masks off, and Havok introduced the new recruits. 'Everyone, listen up. We have two new members of Serotonin- two more lost souls who have been found. This here is Morituri, and this is Rellik. They are now in Serotonin, and we are still the same- lost souls that have been found.'

They then left, leaving Kari to limp back out. 'Did Rio take her drink?' 'Yeah- she did thanks. I'd love to chat, but I've got a final to prepare for.' 'I don't know if it's going to be useful, but take this- just for luck or something.' 'Thanks Blair. You're a good kid- see you later.'

10 minutes later, and it was time. 'The following is the final of the Cardiff Super Special.' Akiza's music hit first, as she came out, with the rest of Black Rose Inc. 'Introducing first, accompanied by Black Rose Inc., from Tacoma, Washington, she is the Black Rose- Akiza Izinski.'

Akiza came out, having tied her hair back, and told Black Rose Inc. to stay back. She then walked straight down after making the Renegades salute. When she got to the duelling zone, she took off her jacket, and chopped the head off of a rose. We then waited... and waited... and waited some more.

Eventually, Phil came out, to new music (Wonderful Life by HURTS). 'Introducing her opponent, accompanied by Maddy Robinson-Cummings, Mildred Blaze Mortis, and Kris Travison, from the M18 District of Manchester, England, he is The Most Dangerous Man In The World- Phil Robinson-Cummings.'

Phil came out, and squatted down, before flicking his hood off. He then roared, and came down with just Maddy. When he got to the duelling zone, he hugged Maddy, and gave her his jacket. He then squared up to Akiza, before they shook hands and fist-bumped each other, and Kris did that with Mildred. They then activated their duel disks (Akiza's redesigned one was pink with thorns around it), and began their duel.

Cardiff Super Special Final: [10] Akiza Izinski LP:4000 vs. [14] Phil Robinson-Cummings LP:4000

Turn 1- Akiza- 'I'll start. I draw. I summon out Twilight Rose Knight (Atk:1000). It's ability lets me summon Lonefire Blossom (Atk:500). I now tune my Level 3 Twilight Rose Knight and Level 3 Lonefire Blossom to summon out the Queen of Thorns (Atk:2200). I end my turn with a face-down.'

Turn 2- Phil- 'Akiza, you really think that's going to worry me?' 'No- it's just a solid start, that's all.' 'I draw. I summon out Cyber Dragon, because you control a monster and I do not (Atk:2100).' 'Get ready to feel the pain.' 'Or maybe not- if I would take damage from a card effect, I can summon out Phoenix Shadow, and the damage I would have taken become it's Attack points (Atk:1000).'

'I now tune my Level 1 Phoenix Shadow with my Level 5 Cyber Dragon. Get ready Akiza, because I'm busting out the big guns here. I summon out the Orient Dragon (Atk:2300).' 'Not seen that in a while. You still lose 1000 Life points though.' Queen of Thorns shot a thorn out at Phil, reducing his Life points, but you wouldn't have known it from his body language (Phil LP:4000-3000).

'You'll be wishing my dragon had stayed away Akiza. I activate it's special ability. When it's summoned, I can target a Synchro monster on your field, and banish it.' Orient Dragon shot a mystic light at Queen of Thorns, making it vanish. 'Very clever.' 'Orient Dragon, attack directly.'

Orient Dragon shot a spinning triangle out of it's mouth at Akiza, but she barely reacted (Akiza LP:4000-2850). 'I activated Half-Life. It halved the damage and lets me summon out a monster whose Attack points are equal to or less than the damage I took from my deck. I summon Lonefire Blossom (Def.:1300).'

'I end my turn with these two face-downs.'

Akiza- 'I draw. I activate Lonefire Blossom's ability, letting me tribute it, to summon out any Plant I like from my Deck or Graveyard. I choose to summon Talaya- Princess of Cherry Blossoms (Atk:2800). My Princess gains 100 Attack points for every Plant on the field (Atk:2800-2900).'

'Talaya, destroy Orient Dragon.' Talaya twirled, and cherry blossoms bombarded Orient Dragon, destroying it (Phil LP:3000-2300). 'I'll end my turn with another face-down.'

Phil- 'I draw. I think I'll put up some defence- Rank-up Magic Renegades Unite! With the power of this card, I summon Number 42- Galaxy Tomahawk (Def.:3000). Now I activate the second ability of Renegades Unite, letting me deal you with 1400 points of damage. Go- _Revolution Shock.' _

A green blast of light erupted from Renegades Unite, and Galaxy Tomahawk just steered out of the way, letting the blast hit Akiza, who was thrown back, but showed incredible agility by landing on her feet (Akiza LP:2850-1450). 'Nice agility Akiza.' 'Thanks- nice move there.'

'Are those two flirting Blair?' 'They're not flirting Belle. They're having fun- there's a lot of mutual respect between them. They've spent the best part of 9 years duelling each other, and they've seen how much the other one has grown. They're both leaders as well- I heard from Rio about the respect that they showed each other in Latvia earlier on in the season.'

'Sorry- just got a lot to learn.' 'No worries- I suppose we all do in a way. Sometimes duelling's not just about winning and losing- it's about the respect and giving everything to showcase your talents. Duelling saved my life- literally.' 'What do you mean by that Blair? You seem so strong-willed and independent.'

'I didn't used to be. When I was 11, I got depressed- I'd had enough, and wanted to commit suicide. So I grabbed a kitchen knife- a sharp one.' 'What stopped you?' 'Just as I was about to commit suicide, I accidentally switched my TV on, and when it came on, Phil was duelling Hannah at the Gortonia tournament. I was so close to plunging the knife into my heart, but I just couldn't do it- I was too transfixed by the incredible duelling action.'

'After the duel ended, Phil said something along the lines of "I duel to give people hope that life can get better- that knives and guns and violence aren't always the way forward. I dropped the knife, and told my parents what had happened. They spent some of their holiday money on getting me a basic duelling deck, and I learned how to duel.'

'So Phil's saved your life as well as Rio's?' 'Yeah- in effect. When me and Rio first came together as a tag-team, we barely knew anything about each other. But when we were brought together by Phil, we realised that we really meshed, and actually got on.' 'She's right- I actually had someone I knew I could trust.'

'How did you get the Frozen Diamonds name then?' 'Questions, questions, so many questions. We got it while we were drunk in China- we were discussing team names with Phil, and Blair came up with Frozen Diamonds- because her deck contains Gem-Knight and Crystal Beast monsters, and my deck's got a lot of cards to do with water and ice.'

'I think that I'll end my turn with that. Your go Akiza- I want your best shot.'

Akiza- 'Ok, you asked for it. I draw. I activate Rank-up Magic Renegades Unite! This lets me summon a card I like- some defence of my own. I summon out Alsei- the Sylvan High Protector (Def.:3200, Talaya Atk:2900-3000). Next, I'll deal you with 1600 points of damage thanks to Renegades Unite. Go- _Revolution Shock!'_

A brown light shot out of Renegades Unite, underneath the massive body of Alsei, striking Phil, who dug in (Phil LP:2300-1500). 'Sorry Akiza, I activated Damage Translation.' 'You're really digging out the old playbook today, aren't you?' 'Too right- I knew I had to come up with something special against you.'

Just then, Phil's phone rang. 'Hello? Hi Jodi, can I call you back? I'm just in the middle of a duel at the moment. I promise I'll call you back. Thanks- bye. Sorry about that- I forgot to switch my phone off.' 'Happens to the best of us. That's me by the way.' Akiza then let her hair down, and Phil looked over at Maddy, and blew a kiss to her, making her smile.

'I think that I'll throw down another face-down to end my turn.' 'Damage Translation gives me a Ghost Token (Def.:0000).'

Phil- 'It's my turn again. I end my turn.'

Akiza- 'My go. I'll do the same as you- end my turn without doing anything at all.'

Phil- 'Back to me- I draw. I release my Ghost Token to summon Cyber Dragon (Def:1600). I now activate Photon Generator Unit, to release my Cyber Dragon, and summon out Cyber Laser Dragon (Atk:2400). I now activate it's ability. Once per turn, I can destroy one monster on the field with Attack or Defence higher than the Attack or Defence of it's own. Say goodbye to Talaya.'

Cyber Laser Dragon shot lasers out of it's mouth which pelted Talaya, destroying her. 'I end my turn with a face-down.'

Akiza- 'My turn. I play a monster face-down in Defence mode, and end my turn.'

Phil- 'Me again. I activate Shield Crush. This lets me destroy a monster on the field in Defence mode. Say goodbye to whatever you're hiding Akiza.' Shield Crush then shot a green light straight through Akiza's face-down monster (Wall of Ivy Def.:1200), destroying it.

'With that done, I activate Laser Dragon's ability to destroy Alsei, because it has a higher Defence stat than the Attack stat of my Laser Dragon.' Laser Dragon shot straight through Alsei with a barrage of lasers, making it crumple to the ground in a heap. 'Cyber Laser Dragon, attack directly.'

'I activate Dimension Wall. Due to my Dimension Wall, your attack's only harming one person, and it's not me.' 'Fine- I'm not going down alone.' 'What?' 'I figured a while ago that a draw was my best bet. That's why I set this- Enchanted Javelin. This gives me Life points equal to the attack of the attacking monster. That's not it though- I also activate the trap Oberon's Prank. This negates Enchanted Javelin, and now we both take 2400 points of damage instead. Let's go down together Akiza- we both deserve to win.'

Oberon's Prank then triggered, and a hurricane blew Phil and Akiza away (Phil LP:1500-0000, Akiza LP:1450-0000). After the duel, both of them dusted themselves down, and got straight back up, before raising each other's hands in victory. 'The result of this duel is a draw. Normally we would restart the duel in this situation, but it is apparent that neither duellist wants to continue. Therefore the top prize will be split between them- £2000 each.'

The interviewer then went down to Phil. 'Phil, you've duelled an absolute blinder in the latter stages of this tournament. Isn't it bittersweet to only be a joint winner?' 'In a way yes, but at the same time, Akiza deserves this as much as I do. Credit to her- she pushed me to a point where I could not win.'

'What is your prize money being spent on? We know that you like your cars.' 'Yeah- I do. But this prize money, £500's going to the Manchester Dogs Home fund after the terrible fire there at the back end of 2014. As for the rest of it, £1500 should be plenty to get my awesome daughter Maddy a driving test.'

'You never mentioned this to me. You tell me everything. Hell- you even tell me if you've been to the bog.' 'It's a toilet Maddy. And I wanted it to be a surprise for you. I wasn't really tired earlier- not like I claimed anyway. I just wanted to see how good a driver you were. C'mon Mads- we didn't buy you a car for nothing. Besides- a you're really good driver Maddy.'

'I'll do it on 3 conditions.' 'I'm listening.' '1. You give me more driving lessons. 2. You're in the car for the driving test. 3. We have lunch sometime, just you and me at a proper grill place.' 'I'm unsure on the last one. Just kidding- of course I can do those Maddy.' 'Fine- I'm paying 50% though.' 'Make it 25% and you have a deal.' 'Meet halfway?' 'I can't be bothered working out 37.5%.' '30%.' 'Deal.'

After that, the interviewer went over to Akiza, but she didn't fancy the interview. So we were about to leave, when Birchall came over, with "Hannah's coffin". 'Give it up you creep- we all know it's empty.' Before Birchall could say anything, Bolton came out, with Madi.

"James, I thought we had a deal." "What deal?" "I asked you to get rid of Phil and Maddy without killing them. I did not tell you to kill Hannah." "I'm not a Renegade- I don't do what a has-been tells me to do." 'Birchall, Bolton isn't a has-been.' "Thank you Mr. Robinson." 'Nah- you misunderstood him. Bolton, you're not a has-been, you're a never-was. You were never a star in the first place.'

'Thanks Kris.' 'No worries.' "What do you know?" 'What Phil will do to you if you don't watch what you say.' "What's that- beat me up like a thug?" 'Nah- he won't be that kind.' Bolton was about to reply, when Birchall kicked him in the privates. He seemed like he might be ready to fight Phil, but instead, Phil just led us out.

**What will happen in Belgrade? Why did Phil not fight? When is Maddy's driving test going to be? And who has worked out the riddle of H.R.C? To find out, tune in to Renegades: A New Dawn Chapter IX- The Dark Moon**


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